Kenyan students in China will not be evacuated

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi when she appeared before the National Assembly Health Committee on the Coronavirus status. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

The government will not evacuate students trapped in Wuhan, the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak.

This is after some parents demanded that the government intervenes and brings back their children.

“We are not in competition to relocate our students who are trapped in China. We are not responding from an emotional point of view,” said Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna.

Colonel (Rtd) Oguna stated that they were engaging with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give the students financial assistance. Reports have emerged that the students have not been able to access food supplies since the outbreak.

Psychological support

About 100 Kenyans are trapped in Wuhan with 91 being students. Some 3,000 Kenyans are currently in China, according to the latest government statistics.

Ministry of Health official Patrick Amoth said the ministry in conjunction with Red Cross was offering psychological support to the students.

So far, over 75,000 cases have been reported with over 2,000 deaths reported worldwide.

At least 16,000 are said to have recovered from the virus. Coronavirus and flu have similar symptoms including fever, cough or runny nose.