Coronavirus: Government monitoring well-being of Indian students stuck in China
Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the Indian embassy in Beijing is "constantly checking" on the Indian students still stuck in China, where a coronavirus outbreak has exploded over the past month. At least 250 Indian students are said to be stuck in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, which has been placed on lockdown.
Embassy in Beijing constantly checking on Indians in China: Jaishankar
Jaishankar tweeted early Sunday, "Our Embassy in Beijing is constantly checking on the health and well-being of the Indians in China. Please follow @EOIBeijing for more updates on the situation." The official Twitter handle of the Indian Embassy in Beijing also tweeted saying that it is in "close touch" with Chinese authorities. The Embassy has launched two hotlines to help Indians in China.
At least 250 Indian students stuck in Wuhan, surrounding areas
Earlier, India had issued travel advisories to people visiting and returning from China. Sources told PTI at least 250 Indian students are still stuck in Wuhan and surrounding areas. About 700 Indians, mostly medical students, are said to be studying at universities in the region. Most of them left before the city was locked down. Reportedly, India has requested China to release the students.
Almost 2,000 infected with coronavirus in China; 56 dead
The fast-spreading viral outbreak has claimed 56 lives in China, as per the latest update. Reportedly, the coronavirus has infected 1,975 in China alone and confirmed cases have been reported in the United States, Thailand, France, Australia, South Korea, Japan, etc. To contain the virus from spreading further, China has placed over a dozen cities on lockdown, effectively impacting 56 million lives.
What is the coronavirus outbreak?
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus or 2019-nCoV belongs to the family Coronaviridae. The virus only has single-stranded RNA and needs to hijack other living cells to multiply. It shares 70% genetic similarity to the Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS), which killed hundreds across the globe in the early noughties. The virus impacts a host's respiratory system, causing pneumonia-like symptoms.
