China students’ parents meet with authorities on coronavirus epidemic

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to trap Barbadian students in the stricken Chinese city of Wuhan, the Ministry of Education has begun meeting with parents and guardians of students in China to address their concerns.

And the three students caught in Ground Zero of the epidemic are reported to be in good health and have access to food and supplies.

Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw held the first round of meetings with parents and guardians on Monday and Tuesday to discuss how the ministry, through the Chinese Embassy and the Barbados Embassy in Beijing, could help the students while the virus has led to travel restrictions within and out of China.

And a parent has stepped back from earliers claims that her child was running out of food when Uber drivers stopped making deliveries as a curfew deepened.

The parents of the three Barbadian students at the epicentre of the epidemic, Wuhan, in the central province of Hubei – Elijah Cave, 19, Jevon Hercules, 23, and 25 year-old Alexandra Payne – explained that they were in good health and spirits, despite not being able to leave after Chinese authorities moved swiftly to lock down the city in a bid to control the spread of the new strain of coronavirus.

Cave is living on a university campus, while Hercules and Payne are staying off-campus.

Some students had returned to Barbados from other parts of China, and were under quarantine, the Education Minister advised. Travellers  entering Barbados from affected regions are being quarantined for 14 days.

The ministry said it is ensuring that the three students in Wuhan receive counselling to help them cope with the crisis.  They are also in contact with medical officials in Barbados.

Alexandra’s mother Michelle Payne who told another newspaper of her anger about a perceived lack of supplies for her daughter, said her tone in the article was based on a misunderstanding of some information she received from a third party. She said she now understood that the information conveyed to her was misinterpreted.

The parents received an update from Ambassador to China Francois Jackman in Beijing. He was joined on the call by the foreign ministry’s Permanent Secretary Simone Rudder and Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George.

According to a report on the meeting from the Government Information Service, they were mostly concerned about how soon the students would be able to return home.

Bradshaw said the Government, following guidance by the World Health Organization and Chinese authorities and therefore could not go into affected areas to extract students.

But she assured the parents that “Barbados is going to do all it can to ensure students are safe”.

Many of the parents revealed that from constant contact with the students they were not in any danger of running out of food, or other supplies.  They also praised the Barbados Embassy in Beijing for its efforts in ensuring students were well taken care of.

Ambassador Jackman explained that the embassies of CARICOM countries in China are working together to get supplies to students as the need arises.  He added that the embassy was also in constant contact with students.

Universities across China had established hotlines and facilities to provide students with meals as well as basic supplies, including masks and surgical gloves. Chinese authorities built an entire hospital in a manner of days to handle coronavirus patients.

Permanent Secretary Rudder also urged students who are not currently registered with the embassy in Beijing to do so in order to receive assistance.

The three students staying in Wuhan know each other and keep in regular contact.  Their parents and guardians confirmed that they had access to food, despite rumours to the contrary.                                                                  

Hercules went over to Wuhan from Xiamen University in Fujian to visit Alexandra, a family friend.  While, the city was locked down before he was able to return to his university.

Cave’s parents shared that they spoke with their son at his university in Wuhan “two to three times a day”, and were satisfied that he was okay.

Bradshaw urged all parents and guardians of students in China whom she is yet to meet, to contact the ministry on 535-0610.  When calling, they should indicate the name of the student and provide their contact details, she said.