A family in Houston is waiting to be reunited with their toddler, one of the many evacuees fleeing from Wuhan, China in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
ABC13 reported that the grandparents brought Allen, a 2-year-old American citizen, to China in order to celebrate Chinese New Year. Initially, the grandparents, who are not U.S. citizens, were prohibited from bringing him back to the U.S., even though they hold valid travel visas.
The mother, Fen Xin, is currently waiting for her son, who she believes boarded an evacuation plane with his grandfather. The plane is thought to have landed Thursday evening at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramir, San Diego, a designated quarantine base, according to ABC13.
“He’s my son. I’m the mom. So, at this moment, no matter what, I want to be with him,” Xin said.
However, the reunion may have to wait if her son is required to undergo the 14-day quarantine imposed by the CDC. Currently, Xin is communicating with other American parents whose children may also be trapped in Wuhan.
About 530 Americans who were reportedly stuck in the city returned to the U.S. last week, the Washington Post reported. It is not known how many Americans are currently in Wuhan, but “planeloads“of Americans have been reportedly evacuating from China to U.S. military bases.
A 60-year-old U.S. citizen died from the coronavirus last Thursday in Wuhan, according to the New York Times. It was the first recorded U.S. death by coronavirus.
The incident drew criticism over the Trump administration and State Department’s handling of American evacuations from China. So far, the death toll has risen to 811 worldwide, and twelve cases have been confirmed in the U.S., NBC reported.
The World Health Organization recently declared the coronavirus as a global emergency, the BBC reported.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.