‘I just want to cuddle her’: Shattered parents who flew their 18-month-old baby to China to escape Australia’s bushfire crisis ‘feel so guilty’ now the toddler is TRAPPED in Wuhan surrounded by coronavirus
- Eighteen-month-old Chloe Luo has been stuck in Hubei, China since January
- Parents Yi Zhao and Yufei Luo sent her to stay with grandparents during bushfire
- The two are pleading for their little girl to be sent back home to Canberra
A couple who sent their baby girl to China to escape the bushfire crisis are now desperately trying to bring her home after she became trapped in Hubei amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Eighteen-month-old Chloe Luo, from Canberra, has been stuck in the Chinese province since January, when her parents flew her out to stay with relatives.
The little girl was sent to stay with her grandmother in Suizhou, three hours from the city of Wuhan, after the Australian capital became blanketed by toxic bushfire smoke.
‘I sent her alone, back to my country. I just felt like it was a good thing [to get out] of a bad environment,’ her mum Yi Zhao told 9News.
Yi Zhao (left) and Yufei Luo (right) from Canberra, flew their 18-month-old daughter Chloe to China last month, in a bid to keep her safe from the bushfires
Little Chloe now remains stranded in with grandmother in Suizhou, three hours from Wuhan, after the province was place on lockdown amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak
Chloe is now among the hundreds of Australians unable to return home after the government implemented a travel ban in a bid to stop the disease from spreading.
Ms Zhao and husband Yufei Luo say they now feel ‘guilty’ for sending her abroad and have spent the last few weeks worried sick over their young daughter.
‘I just want to cuddle her, or kiss her,’ the mum said tearfully.
The parents are now asking the government to help bring Chloe home, as she was unable to fly back on an evacuation flight alone.
Foreign travellers who have recently left or passed through mainland China are currently banned from entering our shores. Pictured are visitors arriving in Brisbane before the ban was implemented.
The tourism industry is paying a heavy price from Australia’s temporary ban on Chinese travellers, which will likely be extended later this week
So far, over 300 Australians have been evacuated from the epicentre of the disease following an emergency evacuation efforts via airplane.
However, Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced on Wednesday the government was not ‘considering a third flight at this time.’
She also confirmed Chloe does not fall under those ‘vulnerable’ Australians who are being given priority.
‘Our effort has been to try to keep families together where possible. What we’ve been able to do is to assist those Australians to leave Wuhan who are cleared for departure by Chinese travel authorities,’ she said in a press conference.
‘That does not include family members of Australian children who are Chinese nationals and who are not Australian permanent residents.’
Ms Payne suggested the best thing for Chloe would be to remain in the care of her family in China, until it is safe for her to travel home.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Greg Hunt warned the travel ban will likely be extended as the worldwide death toll surpassed 1,000.
‘We expect it will continue. We’re not putting a timeframe on it,’ the minister told The Australian.
Mr Hunt added the government acted on the best medical advice to implement the ban.
‘Ultimately, our job … our responsibility, is to provide protection and national health security for the Australian people,’ he said.
‘They’ve been difficult decisions but made on the basis of the medical advice and we’ll implement the medical advice.’
Australia currently has 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus while four Australians are among 65 newly-confirmed cases aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama in Japan.
The federal government also admits the ban has taken a toll on the tourism industry, which is losing an estimated $1billion a week.
Qantas this week also enforced the temporary suspension of its two direct services to mainland China until March 28.