DFA brings relief to stranded Filipinos in Wuhan City

The on-site repatriation team of the foreign affairs department renders relief goods to Filipinos who are stranded in their homes in Wuhan city of China amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. /DFA

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has provided relief goods to stranded Filipinos in Wuhan City in China’s Hubei province as the Chinese government enforces a limited travel to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).

In a statement on Saturday, the DFA said their on-site repatriation team, Filipino volunteers and the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai assisted in the relief operations for Filipinos who were stranded in their homes in Wuhan City, where the new coronavirus had originated.

“The team hired a vehicle to visit neighborhoods with identified Filipino residents in travel-restricted Wuhan City, and handed out grocery items and basic necessities,” read the statement.

The repatriation team went to the outbreak’s ground zero in Wuhan City with Chinese authorities on Friday.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai, there are 300 Filipinos in the Hubei province. Of the number, 150 are living in Wuhan City.

The death toll in the 2019-nCoV ARD outbreak in mainland China increased to 722 while 34,546 persons were infected with the novel coronavirus.

Edited by MUF