APD | Sri Lanka evacuates students from Wuhan

APD NEWS

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By APD writer Easwaran

COLOMBO, Feb. 1 (APD) Sri Lanka, on Saturday, evacuated a group of students who were studying in Wuhan, China as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

A special flight with the Sri Lankan students landed at the Mattala Airport in southern Sri Lanka and the students were transported to an Army camp in a special bus, under tight security.

Following the direction of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Ministry of Foreign Relations in coordination with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, facilitated the return of the 33 Sri Lankan students and their family members to Sri Lanka from Wuhan.

The students are to be quarantined at the Army camp for two weeks.

Acting Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Beijing K.K. Yoganaadan said the Government of Sri Lanka is thankful to the Chinese Government for expediting the process of clearance for the Sri Lankan aircraft to land in Wuhan, to fly the retuning students and their family membe

Over the past five days the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing and the Consulates General in Shanghai and Guangzhou have coordinated the return to Sri Lanka of 627 students, in addition to the 33 students from Wuhan (total 660).

The Embassy and the Consulates are in the process of facilitating the return of those among the remaining 204 students, who wish to return to the country.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)