Chinese students set to study in N.S. asked not to leave China because of coronavirus - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Chinese students set to study in N.S. asked not to leave China because of coronavirus

A group of 52 students from China were slated to fly to Halifax this week for the upcoming semester, but were asked by their government not to leave the country because of the coronavirus outbreak. They're from Suzhou, about 800 kilometres east of the city of Wuhan.

Trip has been put on hold indefinitely

The more than 50 Chinese high school students planning to study abroad in Nova Scotia who have had their trip put on hold are from Suzhou, China, a city about 800 kilometres east of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. (China News Service photo via Reuters)

A group of 52 high school students from China will not be attending classes acrossNova Scotia next week as originally planned because of the coronavirus outbreak. They were slated to flyin this week for the upcoming semester, but were asked by their government not to leave China.

The students are from Suzhou, a city about 800 kilometres east of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak,aflu-like illnessthat can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms.

"They are on holdand we're just waiting for updates as the situation unfolds," said Andrea Ashton, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia International Students Program, the organization that oversees the exchange program.

Ashton said she doesn't know when the situation could change.

"We have to respect the decision that their government has takenand just wait for updates as they come," she said.

Dr. Robert Strang is the province's chief medical officer. He says it's important to 'counteract some of this discrimination and stigma' surrounding the coronavirus. (CBC)

Nova Scotia's chief medical officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said he plans to meet withuniversity officialsacross the province on Wednesday.

With the largenumber of Chinese-born students enrolled in universities in the province, Strang said it's important to get accurate information to the schools so they can handle it.

"There's already some fear and hysteria emerging," Strang said. "Like, 'These students shouldn't be in class, they should be isolated in their dormitory with masks.'"

A lot of that fear comes from the lack of information, Strang said, which is why the Department of Health is trying to learn more about the virus and how it spreads.

"We really got to counteract some of this discrimination and stigma,"he said.

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With files from Preston Mulligan