PM: Govt to discuss with China to bring back Malaysians trapped in Hubei province
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 29 — Malaysia will be discussing with China to airlift Malaysian citizens trapped in the Hubei province, the epicentre of a new, deadly coronavirus strain, back home.
In a press conference here today, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: “We are faced with a problem where Malaysians in Wuhan cannot get out of Wuhan, but we want to discuss, negotiate with the Chinese government, so that Malaysian citizens who are not ill, can come back to Malaysia.
“And they will be checked when they reach Malaysia. If there is proof they are ill from coronavirus, or they were there long, we will quarantine these Malaysians before they are allowed to go back to their homes.”
Dr Mahathir said the incubation period would be 14 days.
Wuhan is the capital city of the Hubei province, currently ravaged by the coronavirus, dubbed the Wuhan virus or 2019-nCoV in short.
Also present during the press conference was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, who confirmed that there are currently 78 Malaysians in Wuhan.
He said that none of them had tested positive for the Wuhan virus.
In the press conference, the prime minister also expressed Malaysia’s intention to help the people trapped in Wuhan, who are in need of food and other necessities, during the lockdown period.
“On the other hand, we were told that even for Malaysians, there are some who lack food. Apparently, the food supply in Wuhan is much diminished, and there are those who have food supplies to only last them four days.
“We are also keen to help Wuhan. So if we have to send planes to take back our citizens, if allowed by the Chinese government, we will bring food, and if we can, get gloves and masks,” Dr Mahathir added.
As of 2pm today, Malaysia has seven confirmed 2019-nCoV cases, all of whom are Chinese nationals, according to official data released by the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the health authorities have dealt with 74 cases of patients-under-investigation confirmed to be negative of the virus while eight other cases are still pending lab results.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the US and Japan have evacuated their citizens out of Wuhan, as the death toll rose sharply to 132.
The news agency reported that Turkey too would be evacuating 32 of its citizens and their families from Wuhan.
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