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China coronavirus: thousands left Wuhan for Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore or Tokyo before lockdown
- But more travelled only as far as neighbouring Henan province
- Over 4,000 people from Wuhan remain outside mainland China, as authorities call for help to accommodate them on their return
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Thousands of people from Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, had flown to Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Japan before the mainland Chinese city was locked down last week, mainland media reported – although the five most popular destinations of those leaving Wuhan were in neighbouring Henan province.
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Fears of a global pandemic were raised by the number of people leaving Wuhan in the 24 days between the first cases of infection being reported on December 30 and the decision to suspend travel out of the city on Thursday.
Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang said on Sunday that about 5 million residents – nearly half of the city’s 11 million population – had left before the lockdown began as part of the emergency measures to try to contain the spread of the virus.
The exodus was consistent with a 2018 survey that suggested 48 per cent of Wuhan’s population had left the city during the Lunar New Year.
Figures from Wuhan’s culture and tourism bureau suggested that as of Sunday there were 4,096 people from the city still staying outside mainland China and planning to return to Wuhan in the next few days. The bureau has called for help from airlines and hotels in other parts of the country to accommodate them away from Wuhan.
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