Coronavirus: Countries that are evacuating nationals from China's virus areas

Countries around the world are planning to evacuate diplomatic staff and private citizens from Chinese areas hit by the coronavirus, which is spreading quickly.

Wuhan, a city of 11 million in the province of Hubei, is the epicentre of the outbreak. Wuhan is in virtual lockdown and much of Hubei, home to nearly 60 million people, is under some kind of travel curb.

Following are some countries' evacuation plans, and how they are planning to manage the health risk from those who are returning:

• Canada has about 167 nationals in the Wuhan area, Foreign Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne said on Monday, and eight people have sought consular assistance, which is being provided. While the minister did not rule out possible evacuations, he did not indicate there were any planned at the moment, adding that each consular request would be evaluated on a "case by case basis."
• France expects to repatriate up to a few hundred of its 800 citizens living in the Wuhan area. Evacuees will have to spend 14 days in quarantine to avoid spreading the virus in France.
• Japan is expected to arrange charter flights as early as Tuesday for any of its citizens who wish to return from Wuhan, two sources familiar with the matter said. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said about 430 Japanese nationals have been confirmed to be in Hubei province.
• Spain's government is working with China and the European Union to repatriate Spanish nationals from the Wuhan area, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said.

WATCH|Foreign affairs ministersays help is available for Canadians in China:

Foreign affairs minister says help available for Canadians in China

5 years ago

Duration 1:28

Consular assistance is available to Canadians quarantined in China, Canada's foreign affairs minister says

• The U.S. State Department said it will evacuate personnel from its Wuhan consulate to the United States and offer a limited number of seats to private U.S. citizens on a flight. Some private citizens will be able to board the "single flight" leaving Wuhan on Jan. 28 for San Francisco, it said.
• Britain is talking to international partners to find solutions to help British and other foreign nationals leave Wuhan, a spokespersonfor Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
• Russia has been in talks with China about evacuating its nationals from Wuhan and Hubei province, Russia's embassy in China said.
• The Dutch government is assessing ways to evacuate 20 Dutch citizens from Wuhan, press agency ANP reported.
• Authorities in Myanmar said they had cancelled a planned evacuation of 60 students from Mandalay who were studying in Wuhan. Kyaw Yin Myint, a spokespersonfor the Mandalay municipal government, told Reuters that a "final decision" had been made to send them back after 14 days, once the incubation period forthe virus ends.
• Germany will relocate 90 citizens living in China's Wuhan region.
• Morocco will relocate 100 citizens, mostly students, from the Wuhan area.