Hawaii-based Chinese group wants to send aid to Wuhan to help combat deadly coronavirus

A Hawaii-based Chinese association is seeking donations to purchase desperately needed medical supplies to send to Wuhan, China, hospitals to help combat the deadly Novel coronavirus.

As of Friday the virus had killed at least 41 people, sickened more than 1,200 and spread to at least 15 other countries.

Victor Tan, director of the Hawaii Mainland Chinese Overseas Association, said the situation is worse than the numbers reflect.

He said on social media that videos show “thousands of people dying” in hospital hallways. Hospitals lack enough test kits and protective masks, and five doctors share one protective gown.

Local newspapers confirm the doomsday scenes in the city of 11 million people.

Many Wuhan hospitals are turning away people because they already are crammed with patients lying in packed corridors, the South China Morning Post reported. They are struggling to meet demand from hundreds of sickened people.

The Hawaii association with 50 directors and an unknown number of members is seeking donations to purchase protective goggles, gowns, N95 masks, surgical masks, respirators and disposable hazmat suits. It will take care of shipping the supplies to Wuhan hospitals.

“We only can do so much, but we try to do our best to show aloha,” said Tan, a former acrobat who came with his wife to Hawaii from Harbin, China, 28 years ago.

Four Wuhan residents visiting Honolulu for nine days are scheduled to fly home Monday.

It is unclear whether the two high school students and two teachers, participating in an exchange program with Maryknoll School, will be able to return home.

They arrived Jan. 17 and, although now healthy, are continuing to be monitored for any symptoms of the virus, a Maryknoll spokesman said. The group flew from Shanghai to Honolulu.

China has shut down transportation in Wuhan, at the epicenter of the outbreak, and in at least 12 other cities in Hubei, a province in central China, affecting 36 million.

Chinese authorities, fearing public gatherings could hasten the spread of the virus, have canceled many Lunar New Year festivities.

As today marks the start of the lunar new year, some Hawaii residents are celebrating in China, while Chinese visitors may be flying here.

There is growing concern that the coronavirus is continuing to be brought to the U.S. by travelers who visited Wuhan.

The two confirmed U.S. cases — a Seattle-area man in his 30s and a Chicago woman in her 60s — were individuals who traveled to Wuhan.

Confirmed cases also have been found in France, Australia, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Macao, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Australia and Malaysia.

Travelers coming from Wuhan should note there is up to a 14-day incubation period for the virus, and they should consult a medical provider should they develop any flu-like symptoms from the time they leave the city, state Department of Health officials said.

Honolulu was one of the top 10 destination airports in 2019 for passengers flying from Wuhan, with 334 passengers ultimately flying to Honolulu, Global aviation data company OAG says. There are no direct flights from Wuhan to Honolulu.

A GoFundMe website has been set up for the Hawaii Mainland Chinese Overseas Association at 808ne.ws/2RpjcsP.

Checks may be made payable to HMCOA to P.O. Box 11525, Honolulu, HI 96828.

The association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

For information, email Tan at hapica@yahoo.com.

The Associated Press and Bloomberg News contributed to this report.