Coronavirus: Mother pleads for help to bring her sons safely home from Wuhan

An Australian mother trapped in Wuhan with her two young sons is pleading with the federal government to help get them home.

Andrew and Thomas Zhu, who are trapped in Wuhan, China.

An Australian mother trapped in the disease-stricken city of Wuhan with her two young sons is pleading with the federal government to get them home.

“My kids have been asking about when we can go back,” Jenny Zhu said. “I hope that our government will consider the children’s wellbeing.”

Ms Zhu and her Australian-born sons Thomas, 9, and Andrew, 5, have been stuck in the Chinese city of Wuhan since Thursday, when Beijing quarantined the city of 11 million to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, which is thought to have originated in a local seafood market.

Ms Zhu’s sons are among more than 100 Australian children stranded in the Hubei province in central China, but they’re the lucky ones.

“We are actually safe at home with sufficient food and supplies,” Ms Zhu said.

However, safety comes at a cost. Her children have not been outside for more than a week.

“Last time they went out of the house was on the 20th. They only get some fresh air on the balcony every day.”

Even if they could leave their apartment, there would be nowhere for them to go.

Wuhan is operating in a state of complete lockdown to fight the coronavirus, with the Chinese government suspending all buses, ferries and subway services as well as all inbound and outbound flights.

Local stores have been closed for sterilisation and resources have been focused on constructing a new hospital within a week to house the thousands of coronavirus-infected patients who have packed every emergency ward throughout the city.

“I only realised how severe it was when a neighbour reminded me to put masks on my kids,” Ms Zhu said.

Until a rescue mission is arranged, Ms Zhu’s children will have to pass the time by thinking of their home in Wollongong, south of Sydney, and all they are missing.

“My youngest boy has asked every day when he can go to Kindy because he’s really looking forward to school,” Ms Zhu said, adding her eldest son was “very sad” because he could not go back to pay tribute to his piano teacher who died a few days ago.

“I did not prepare any books or toys for them because it was supposed to be a short trip,” Ms Zhu bemoaned. “There is really no way to explain everything to them, only to wait patiently.”