Russia evacuates 2nd group of citizens from China via border points in Primorye: official
Vladivostok/Sputnik/UNI: Russia has begun evacuating a second group of its nationals by land over the Russia-China border in the far eastern region of Primorye, a representative of the regional government told Sputnik.
A day prior, 58 Russians left China through Primorye checkpoints as a result of the coronavirus outbreak which has triggered a public health emergency of international concern.
"They are being evacuating through the checkpoints Poltavka and Pogranichniy," the source told Sputnik, adding that they will all undergo medical examinations on the Russian side.
A special hotline set up for Russian expatriates living in China received thousands of calls expressing desire to return to their home country.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday said that Russia is coordinating with the Chinese side in order to set up evacuations of its citizens by air. Military medics and virology experts will be sent aboard five Russian Air Force planes on February 3-4 to evacuate Russian nationals from China, Peskov said.
China has been fighting the new strain of coronavirus since December. The virus has since spread to more than 20 countries and killed 304 people in China, according to the latest figures.
Various countries have started evacuating their nationals from China. The outbreak prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency on Thursday.
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