(UTV | COLOMBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called for the evacuation of Sri Lankans in Wuhan as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The President has instructed the Foreign Ministry and SriLankan Airlines to assist in the evacuation of the Sri Lankans.
The Government had said earlier it was ready to evacuate 30 Sri Lankan students in Wuhan, if the need arises.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Colombo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hubei Province was providing necessary advice to the Sri Lankan students in Wuhan to protect them from infection.
The Sri Lankan students had been advised to adhere to health precautionary instructions given by the local health authorities. Since the Wuhan city is closed down, no one can exit or enter the city.
The Embassy said it was also in close consultation with the Beijing based foreign Embassies particularly our neighbouring countries, with regard to the course of action being taken about their citizens in Wuhan.
Initially, there were around 85 Sri Lankan students in Hubei Province, however, most of them had returned to Sri Lanka for the holidays before the outbreak of Coronavirus.
The Embassy in Beijing, and the Consulate Generals in Shanghai and Guangzhou are making coordinated efforts to provide necessary information to Sri Lankans around China.