VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An Indonesian student from South Sulawesi Province currently stranded in Wuhan enthusiastically welcomes the government's plan to evacuate Indonesian citizens from this China's epicenter of deadly new coronavirus outbreak.

"We are thankful and hopeful for the planned evacuation being prepared by the government," said Patmawaty Taibe who is taking up PhD in Psychology Program at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan on Thursday.

She said she follows the Indonesian media reports on the government's concerns with the fate of its citizens in Wuhan, the city that the Chinese Government has put in lockdown to halt the spread of the virus which has killed at least 132 people in China.

The Indonesian Government has been preparing all needed for conducting an immediate and proper evacuation mission while waiting for the Chinese authorities' permit to do that.

"We are so happy to hear the news. May almighty God make all efforts get easily executed," said Taibe, a teaching staff of the Bosowa University in Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, in her Whatsapp message.

The government's plan to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan was unveiled by Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He confirmed that the government was making preparations to evacuate Indonesian citizens from the city.

"In fact, we, the government, have prepared to conduct the evacuation. However, Wuhan has become an isolated area, so no one can enter or leave. As a consequence, everything in on hold, pending the stance of the Chinese government," Amin noted.

The government will evacuate Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, where the coronavirus originated, once the isolation status in the city is revoked, he explained.

The Indonesian government is also awaiting information from the World Health Organization (WHO) over the status of a public health emergency due to the coronavirus.

"Our government is ready. If there is a possibility, we will evacuate. However, the government continues to pay attention to our people, especially those in Wuhan," he stated.

Chinese authorities declared the first case of coronavirus after a person with pneumonia was hospitalized in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, according to an official statement of the WHO.

Over the past weeks, people, with symptoms of pneumonia and reported travel history to Wuhan, had been identified at international airports. (ANTARA)