good evening now main story is that all
British citizens in China should leave
the country if they can to minimize the
risk of exposure to the corona virus
that's the official advice published by
the Foreign Office earlier today
work is continuing to bring home Britons
from Hubei Province where the outbreak
began and so far 427 people have died
from the virus all the two of them in
mainland China with more than 20,000
cases confirmed in no fewer than 26
countries the number of cases is thought
to be doubling every few days but the
World Health Organization says it still
doesn't amount to a pandemic our
correspondent John Sudduth has the
latest from Beijing in Wuhan they've
turned a stadium into a hospital state
media using images like these to
reinforce a message
China's getting things under control but
the deserted airports and canceled
flights show it's fear that seems to be
winning now the UK along with Germany
France and New Zealand are advising
those who can to leave it's prompted
some to try to bring their flights
forward
the British government advice has not
really been that helpful because you
can't just take a flight out
you know if flights aren't there they're
not available if you can't get through
to the airline so yes I bet you Lydia
did it add to your sense of worry when
you when you hear governments telling
people to get out if they can the city
would get locked down because we were in
the second worst Providence after who
Bay Guangdong is the second yes so there
have been cities in the province that
have been quarantined and once you
quarantines you're stuck this is when Jo
more than 500 miles from Wuhan residents
kept indoors transport shut down these
scenes are driving fears in foreign
capitals that the virus may not be
contained the advice to 30,000 Britons
in China to head to the airports is
extraordinary the world's second largest
economy deeply integrated into
supply chains and transport networks now
essentially deemed too risky right but
it's not easy for all Brits to leave
little baby Atlas doesn't yet have a
passport it seems to be the news - and
Danny's wife viola is a Chinese national
without a valid visa but the UK
government has announced that shouldn't
matter I've spoken to the Chinese
Foreign Minister and received
reassurances that no families that want
to return UK national related families
will find himself divided on the basis
of dual nationality
China's fighting on but with so much
still unknown about this virus the
international community isn't taking any
chances John Saad worth BBC News Beijing
let's talk a little more but today's
events then with our global health
correspondent tulip Mazumdar tune it
first of all what's behind the decision
well this is a decision based more on
logistics rather than public health
China has been severely restricting
travel in the country and there are
concerns that it's going to be
increasingly difficult for British
people to get back last week British
Airways and virgin announced they were
suspending direct flights between the UK
and China and there are still some other
carriers that are travelling between the
two countries and the Foreign Office has
said today if you can get onto one of
those flights get onto one of those
flights quite a bit of talk today about
the difference or the contrast between
what the British government is doing and
what the World Health Organization is
suggesting what can you tell us about
that well the World Health
Organization's official advice to
countries is to not restrict travel or
trade at all they say there's no public
health reason to do that and it can just
stigmatize some of these communities all
around the world and we have just heard
tonight that there's a Belgian woman who
was on board a flight bring people back
from China into France it's been
confirmed that she has the coronavirus
now there were
than British people on that flight as
well ten of them have already been
quarantined on the where'll and hospital
they're the 11th person is already being
tested for the corona virus so as and
when these symptoms come up those people
will be diagnosed very quickly and I'll
get treatment very quickly and that's
what we're seeing we're seeing these
quite severe measures being taken here
in the UK quarantining people off planes
and all around the world and it is in
the hope that they can stop this
becoming a global pandemic and that is
where you would see a sustained
person-to-person spread in communities
in different countries all around the
world at the moment we're not seeing
that but it's hoped that some of these
more extreme measures will stop that
from happening okay to look once again
thanks very much de lipez M da there