Little help for 2,000 HKers

Some 2,000 Hongkongers stranded in Hubei have little hope of returning home soon as the government has yet to come up with plans to bring them back.

The constitutional and mainland affairs bureau yesterday said it received 1,000 requests for assistance from among the 2,000 Hongkongers stranded in 30 cities and towns across Hubei.

On arrangements for helping them return, a spokesman said the government is taking a prudent approach and evaluating the risk, feasibility and other concerns such as the possibility of cross-infection during the journey.

This came as people voiced out over their dire situation in the locked-down city.

A stranded Hongkonger, Chan, spoke about his predicament on a radio phone interview yesterday as he, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter have been stuck in a town two hours away from Wuhan for three weeks.

The family flew there to visit relatives on January 21, but their returning flights and trains were canceled following the lockdown on January 23.

"I have a chronic disease and I need to take medicine for high blood pressure. I only have enough pills for one day left," he said.

"I kept calling the Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan for days, but no one picked up and the voice message box was full. I managed to get through on February 4, but the call was directed to the immigration department in Hong Kong."

Hongkong Post eventually arranged to mail the pills from Chan's friend, but Chan is worried it may not arrive in time, given that mainland logistics are under limited operation.

He added that the ETO only called back and helped him obtain pills from the department of health after lawmaker James To Kun-sun stepped in.

Executive Council member Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said it would be difficult to bring back the stranded Hongkongers.

"They are scattered across Hubei and we need to consider whether they have transportation to reach Wuhan," she said.

She also added that they might face a high risk of infection whilst taking transportation and the government is having difficulties in finding flights.

Five lawmakers from Civic Party have written to Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, urging him to arrange flights for those who are stranded.