An Ottawa man is grateful to be back on Canadian soil after being trapped in Wuhan, China.
Kai Huang and his 78-year-old mother Yi Huang had been in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak since the lockdown was imposed in January.
The pair wasn’t able to get on the chartered government plane from Canada, but managed to get seats on a U.S. flight that arrived Friday afternoon.
“It’s really exciting,” said Huang, who is now under quarantine for 14 days at CFB Trenton.
“When we landed in Trenton, we felt we were safe.”
The pair had been visiting Wuhan to sell an old apartment.
“She has been living in Ottawa since 2006, so she wanted to sell her apartment in Wuhan and come back to Canada,” said Huang.
“The travel ban doesn’t allow us to leave.”
The 50-year-old who had been there since January 9th, describes Wuhan as a “ghost-city”
“It’s an 11 million people city, but empty on the roads everywhere,” said Huang.
“It’s crazy at night.”
Huang a Canadian citizen, while his mother is a permanent resident, and there were fears the two would be separated. But a letter from the Embassy of Canada stated the two could leave on the U.S. chartered flight.
“We can go outside for a walk,” said Huang as he showed CTV News the view outside his window.
“We can’t pass the yellow line, the yellow fence.”
Huang’s room has two double-beds with a private bathroom, furniture, a television, a microwave, a fridge and food.
Huang is anxious to reunite with his wife and children who are still in Barrhaven. He has not been able to see them since returning to Canada, but has been able to speak to them through WeChat.
“Thank you to Canada,” said Huang.
“We are home.”
Huang will remain under quarantine at the airbase for another 12 days.
According to a government release issued Saturday, none of the repatriated Canadians show symptoms of coronavirus.
