Impact from coronavirus could be severe

‘I found it interesting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not provide an estimate of the number of Jamaicans living, working and studying in China. We’ve heard of Jamaican students desperately pleading for help to leave, stranded in their homes with little food, water and supplies.’

TTHE EDITOR, Madam:

HE CORONAVIRUS shows no sign of tapering, with over 14,000 confirmed cases as of writing, nearly 500 deaths, mostly in central China, and at least 26 other countries have confirmed cases. The first cases of the virus were reported in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, and the most affected persons were those who worked or shopped in seafood markets where freshly slaughtered and live animals were sold. Initial reports suggest that the virus was spread from bats.

The situation is now complex, as many flights to China have been banned, and travel is restricted to and from, especially within the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan.

Over 60 million people are reportedly under lockdown in China in an effort to contain the outbreak. The economic impact could be severe; it could impact international trade, travel and tourism – not just in China. We must be prepared!

I found it interesting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not provide an estimate of the number of Jamaicans living, working and studying in China. We’ve heard of Jamaican students desperately pleading for help to leave, stranded in their homes with little food, water and supplies.

LEARN FROM PAST

Although a registration link has now been posted on the ministry’s website, some sort of registration should be in place at all missions to facilitate urgent communication and assistance in cases of emergencies, such as this.

We began hearing about the virus from as early as December, and hopefully, we learned from past outbreaks, such as SARS and Ebola.

Understandably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been criticized for its lethargic response to aid Jamaicans in China and now it might be too late, considering the risks.

Needless to say, the Jamaican ambassador to China is counted as safe, having already returned to Jamaica!

P. CHIN