By Moira Warburton
TORONTO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Canadian citizens and permanent residents who remain in Wuhan, China, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, need to be brought home on a third evacuation plane, a group of families urged the federal government.
In a letter sent to Global Affairs Canada on Saturday, 44 families said that poor communication and misinformation meant their relatives did not board either of the previous government-chartered flights. The families represent about 100 Canadian citizens and PRs who want to leave Wuhan.
The families gave examples of language barriers, limited internet access and personal isolation as reasons why people did not board the flights.
"We are pleading urgently with the government to have compassion to bring our families and loved ones home," the letter said.
Over 500 Canadians have been evacuated due to the coronavirus since the crisis began, according to Global Affairs Canada. Two Canadian government-chartered flights have flown out of Wuhan China, a government plane repatriated 129 Canadians from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship docked in Japan, and a number of Canadians flew home on a United States government-chartered flight from Wuhan. reported 77,150 cases of coronavirus on Monday, with a death count of 2,592. The majority of these are in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located. longer this ordeal carries on, and the longer the lockdown continues for these unfortunate individuals, the more danger it will impose on the Canadians stuck there," the letter read.
Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.