Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Some Students, Ex-Pats Remain in Wuhan With Little Help VOA Student Union Nations around the world are evacuating their students and other citizens from coronavirus-stricken China, while other countries are choosing to leave their citizens in Wuhan, the university city where the virus reportedly started. Around 500 Bangladeshi students are among the stranded in Wuhan. They have called for help on social media, while the Chinese and Bangladesh governments negotiate a strategy. "Through the social [media] site WeChat, students got informed of the mystery infectious virus that was spreading fast," Mazharul Islam, a freshman in the School of Electrical Engineering at Wuhan University, told VOA. "However, we were told that there is nothing to get worried about and the virus is under control. Later through WeChat we were advised to use masks when stepping out of the dormitory." Islam said there were 30 Bangladeshi students on his campus. Through Chinese social media WeChat, he said, he and others learned there were 500 Bangladeshi students in Wuhan. He said the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing "would notify us if there were any emergency evacuation taking place." He said they have been provided with masks and preventive medicines from the university. Masudur Rahman, the deputy chief of mission at the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing, said of the 3,000 [1]Bangladeshis in China, most are students and teachers. "We, from the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing, are in contact with the Chinese authorities and are trying to find a possible solution in the present situation," Rahman said. Evacuation would "have to take place through a bilateral arrangement." Meanwhile, other countries are arranging flights out of China for their citizens. France -- where three cases of the coronavirus have been reported -- said it will operate several direct flights under the supervision of medical experts out of China midweek for French citizens who want to leave, AFP reported. The number could "range from a few dozen to a few hundred" of its 800 citizens in China, said Health Minister Agnes Buzyn. Evacuees will "stay in a holding area for 14 days," the duration it takes for the virus to incubate, when they land in France, AFP reported. Morocco ordered the repatriation of 100 Moroccan nationals -- mostly students -- from the Wuhan area on Monday, according to Reuters. Other countries arranging to have their citizens and students flow out include Japan, Spain, Britain and Netherlands. Canada, which has about 167 nationals in the Wuhan area, has not planned evacuations but has not ruled them out, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Monday. Each consular request would be evaluated on a "case by case basis," he told Reuters. The epidemic, which originated in Wuhan city, has claimed 81 lives in China and infected more than 2,800 people globally, most of them in China. ð CORONAVIRUS UPDATE DEATHS ð¨ð³ China 81 CONFIRMED CASES ð¨ð³ China 2700 ðºð¸ US 5 ð¦ðºAustralia 5 ð«ð· France 3 ð³ðµNepal 1 ð¯ðµ Japan 4 ð¸ð¬ Singapore 4 ð°ð· South Korea 4 ð¹ð¼ Taiwan 5 ð¹ð Thailand 8 ð»ð³ Vietnam 2 ð²ð¾Malaysia 4 ð°ð Cambodia 1 (Source: VOA/ AFP) -- The Voice of America (@VOANews) [2]January 27, 2020 The Chinese government has locked down Wuhan and neighboring cities to keep the virus from spreading. Tens of millions of people, including foreigners and students, are among them. Many students left the Wuhan area for Lunar New Year's holiday and winter break, but others stayed behind. References Visible links 1. https://www.bdembassybeijing.org/contact-us/ 2. https://twitter.com/VOANews/status/1221802765468475398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Hidden links: 3. file://localhost/student-union/students-wuhan-traveling-globally-holidays .