OTTAWA—International Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne mentioned Tuesday Ottawa is “taking a look at all choices” to assist Canadians quarantined in China throughout the outbreak of a brand new coronavirus.
China started drastic containment efforts to restrict the unfold of the virus final week, chopping aircraft, practice and bus hyperlinks to Wuhan, a metropolis of greater than 11 million folks. A number of different close by cities have been quarantined since, chopping off an estimated 19 million folks.
Champagne mentioned 250 Canadians have registered with International Affairs Canada to say they’re in Wuhan and 126 of them have requested for assist to get house. He mentioned his officers are attempting to contact every considered one of them to evaluate their wants.
“Each Canadian that has reached out to us for consular help will obtain it,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Canada will tailor its response based mostly on what it finds after all of the Canadians asking for assist have been contacted.
He famous the variety of Canadians in search of assist retains altering as increasingly more folks register through the International Affairs Canada web site — the day past, the variety of Canadians registered within the area was 167.
Champagne mentioned assist may embrace sending a aircraft to fly them house, however that Canada can also be working with different international locations in comparable conditions. Canada doesn’t have a diplomatic workplace in Wuhan however different international locations do and are evacuating their staff. In some circumstances, others of their residents are leaving alongside the diplomats.
Champagne mentioned Canada is involved with the Chinese language authorities about ensuring Canada may help its residents.
Well being Minister Patty Hajdu says she doesn’t but know whether or not any of the Canadians in quarantine in China are sick or can be quarantined in Canada in the event that they do come house.
Not all Canadians within the affected a part of China wish to depart.
Wayne Duplessis, working in China as a trainer, says he and his household are hunkered down of their house simply outdoors of Wuhan’s metropolis centre. He, his spouse, Emily Tjandra, and their 15-year-old son Wyatt have spent the final two weeks chatting with folks on-line, watching movies, motion pictures, and the information, and listening to music.
Duplessis mentioned in a Skype interview that he doesn’t wish to spend hours within the air with individuals who could possibly be sick.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer, has mentioned signs of the brand new coronavirus are much like these of the widespread flu and it may take as much as two weeks for an contaminated particular person to start out exhibiting indicators.
Duplessis is initially from Espanola, Ont., and he teaches at Weiming Worldwide Excessive Faculty in Dongxihu. He mentioned he thinks it’s finest to attend it out in Wuhan “irrespective of how tough that’s.”
His recommendation is to take care of routine.
“Stand up within the morning, make your mattress, brush your enamel, make breakfast, so some issues are the identical method every single day … comply with that routine so there’s a construction to your day.”
China has confirmed practically 6,000 circumstances of the brand new virus, with greater than 100 deaths — although circumstances can be gentle and go undiagnosed. Many of the confirmed circumstances have been in Wuhan.
“Just about since they introduced the lockdown … final week it’s been ridiculously quiet. Eerily quiet,” Duplessis mentioned. “It’s been described by numerous folks right here like one thing out of a dystopian film or one thing out of ‘The Strolling Lifeless.’”
Duplessis mentioned when he final visited the grocery retailer a couple of week in the past, he noticed a number of folks in masks and gloves and a few sporting swim goggles.
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The epidemic has revived recollections of the SARS outbreak that originated in China in 2003 and killed practically 800 folks. Chinese language authorities have been criticized for reacting slowly and failing to reveal info.
Duplessis, who has lived in Asia since 1996 and was in China throughout SARS, mentioned the cities weren’t locked down then and it didn’t appear as rapid.
“We moved round comparatively freely. We nonetheless gathered collectively,” he mentioned. “There wasn’t isolation as there’s now.”
However bank cards, digital cash and the web have helped folks “successfully nonetheless keep in touch with everybody,” he mentioned.
“That has diminished the isolation or at the least the sensation of isolation if not the cabin fever.”