Govt to bring Japanese nationals in Wuhan back home

January 27, 2020

Tokyo--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday that the government will bring back home Japanese nationals in Wuhan, the epicenter of a new type of coronavirus that has caused a number of people to develop pneumonia, and areas near the inland Chinese city.

"As soon as coordination with the Chinese government is made, we will help all Japanese nationals willing to return home get back to Japan using all available measures including chartered flights," Abe told reporters at his official residence.

"We are making adjustments with the Chinese government at various levels," he said, adding that the Japanese government will accelerate the preparations in order to have Japanese citizens in Wuhan and nearby areas return home as soon as possible.

Around 710 Japanese nationals are now believed to be in Wuhan, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. Traffic to and from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, has been shut off to prevent any further spread of the virus. Similar traffic shutdown has also been in place in some 10 other cities in the Chinese province.

On Sunday afternoon, the ministry began a survey targeting Japanese nationals in the province through its website, asking those willing to return home to inform Japan's embassy in Beijing of their names, gender, passport numbers and other data. Jiji Press