Coronavirus: British family split up as Chinese wife not allowed on evacuation plane from Wuhan

Separation ‘our worst nightmare’, says father who travelled with wife and daughter to Hubei province before warnings were issued

The rush to evacuate British nationals from areas of China affected by the deadly coronavirus is apparently forcing the separation of some families, including that of a British man who has said he is being forced to leave his wife, who is Chinese, behind.

Sindy and Jeff Siddle, who have a nine-year-old daughter, Jasmine, have described the situation as their “worst nightmare” after the UK Foreign Office told them Ms Siddle will not be allowed to board the plane evacuating British nationals out of Wuhan airport.

The family had travelled to Hubei province in central China for the lunar New Year to spend time with Ms Siddle’s family, before warnings were issued about the outbreak.

Almost 6,000 people have now been infected with the virus, which has spread from Hubei’s capital Wuhan to countries around the world. The number is now larger than the 5,327 people infected in mainland China during the Sars outbreak in 2002-2003.

At least 132 people are known to have died after contracting the new coronavirus, according to the latest figures from Chinese authorities.

Countries began evacuating their citizens from Wuhan on Wednesday.

Writing on Facebook, Mr Siddle said: “This ordeal just turned into our worst nightmare.

“I talked to the Foreign Office in London just now and there is a flight being organised out of Wuhan airport in the next couple of days. But it is only British nationals who are being allowed to leave.

“Myself and our nine-year-old daughter can leave because we are British citizens. But my wife is a Chinese passport holder so she is not allowed on the flight.

“The Foreign Office said Chinese authorities will not allow Chinese nationals to leave.

“So we have to make the decision that either we all stay in Hubei or we have to go without Sindy.”

He explained the Foreign Office said they had put a note on the family’s file due to the fact Ms Siddle is the mother of a nine-year-old, but he said he had been told “there are no guarantees”.

“How can they put a family in this position – having to leave Sindy in China would be the worst thing that anyone could be put through,” he said.

“How am I going to tell Jasmine that her mum has to stay behind?”