Taiwan authority urged to stop impeding Taiwan residents' return from virus-hit Wuhan

The cross-Strait affairs office of Wuhan called on the Taiwan authority to cooperate with the mainland to help Taiwan compatriots stranded in the coronavirus-hit city return home as soon as possible.

Currently, 307 Taiwan compatriots in Wuhan who have applied for transportation assistance are waiting anxiously to return to the island, the office said.

"We have made good preparations for their transportation scheduled for Feb. 5," the office said, adding that it is the Taiwan authority that has repeatedly obstructed the returning journey, leaving the remaining Taiwan compatriots bitterly disappointed.

The office also refuted the Taiwan authority's claim about a confirmed coronavirus case among the first batch of 247 compatriots back to the island from Wuhan on a chartered flight on Feb. 3.

"Since Wednesday, we have contacted the person many times to express concern and sympathy, and he said that everything was normal and has not received any notice of confirmed diagnosis," said the office, urging the island to make a truthful and open explanation of the case as soon as possible.