Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Sunday assured that no case of Coronavirus has been detected so far among the 500-plus Pakistani students based in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has been quarantined following an outbreak of the deadly virus.
Dr Mirza, in a tweet, also assured the students' families that the Pakistani embassy in Beijing is in touch with their loved ones.
“Pakistani Students in China have been informed about protective measures and they should follow the instructions and be patient,” said the SAPM.
He also directed those citizens who are not registered with the embassy to approach the mission as soon as possible. “Be assured we are closely monitoring the situation,” Dr Mirza added.
Special arrangements in Wuhan
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing has told Pakistanis stranded in Wuhan due to expired visas to contact the city’s Foreign Business Handling office for renewals or extensions.
“In order to facilitate the stay of foreign nationals whose visa have expired after 23 January (due to overstay caused by suspension of transportation), the Single Window for Foreign Business Handling at Wuhan Citizens Home would accept foreign nationals applications for renewal of stay and residence permits,” said a press release issued by the Pakistani mission in Beijing.
28,000 Pakistani students in China
There are approximately 28,000 Pakistani students all over China, around 800 residents, traders and around 1500 Pakistani traders who travel to China frequently, the Foreign Office spokesperson told The News.
“There are close to 500 students in Wuhan alone. These numbers have to take into account the fact that many of our students come to China either on self financing or on the scholarships offered by the Chinese.”
“Embassy, therefore has approximate numbers,” she further said.
When asked whether Pakistan is considering to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, she said, "Embassy is in constant touch with Chinese authorities and monitoring the situation."
'Grave threat'
Beijing today expanded its drastic travel restrictions to contain the contagion that President Xi Jinping has said posed a "grave" threat as the death toll from the virus has reached 56.
China has locked down the worst-hit province of Hubei in the country's centre in a massive quarantine affecting tens of millions of people to slow the spread of a respiratory illness that has infected almost 2,000.
The virus has also spread around the world, with cases confirmed in around a dozen other countries as distant as France, Australia and the United States.
In Pakistan, a Chinese man has allegedly been admitted to a hospital in Multan with symptoms of the virus, it was reported on Saturday.