15.31°C Vancouver

Jan 29, 2020 9:40 PM -

Expat family expecting baby soon hopes Britain can get them out of China

Share On
plane-arranged-to-fly-160-canadians-out-of-wuhan
Tom Williams along with his wife Lauren and son James are seen in this undated handout photo. Tom Williams is a British expat who has been living and working for about five years in Wuhan, which is the capital of Hubei province in China. His wife Lauren, who is from Langley, B.C., is about 35 weeks pregnant, he said in a telephone interview from Wuhan. He also has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, James, who was born in White Rock, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Tom Williams *MANDATORY CREDIT*

A pregnant Canadian woman, her young Canadian son and Tom Williams, the child's British father, are the latest to share their concerns about getting out of Wuhan, the Chinese epicentre of an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus.

Williams says his wife is 35-weeks pregnant and his son is under three years of age, and the whole family is waiting for word about whether they will be allowed to depart Wuhan later today on a flight organized by the British government.

As they were waiting, the Canadian government announced it has arranged a plane to fly 160 Canadians out of Wuhan -- but details are still being worked out and there's no word if Williams and his family will be on it.

An outbreak of the novel flu-like respiratory illness began in Wuhan late last year, infecting more than six-thousand people and spreading to other countries, including Canada, although health officials here say the risk of transmission remains low.

Latest news

BCMay 13, 2026

B.C. 911 emergency workers begin strike vote over staffing and workload concerns

Workers at British Columbia’s 911 emergency service centres began voting Wednesday on potential strike action, with the union citing staffing shortages, rising call volumes and increasing workplace pressure. The union representing E-Comm employees said staff are already facing significant mental strain as members respond to more than two million emergency calls each year. The union said the work is stressful even under normal conditions, but current staffing levels have added to the pressure on employees. A key issue in the dispute involves mandatory overtime tied to the upcoming FIFA World
two-surrey-men-charged-following-alleged-shooting-linked-to-extortion-investigation
BCMay 13, 2026

Two Surrey Men Charged Following Alleged Shooting Linked to Extortion Investigation

Two Surrey men are facing firearm-related charges following an investigation into an alleged shooting at a Surrey residence connected to reported extortion threats, according to Surrey Police Service. Police said frontline officers responded to reports of shots fired at about 12:40 a.m. on April 22 in the 13400 block of 87A Avenue. Investigators confirmed damage to a home and a vehicle. The residence was occupied at the time, but no injuries were reported. According to Surrey Police Service, the file was transferred to the department’s Extortion Response Team, which identified a suspect vehi
AlbertaMay 13, 2026

Bus rollover near Beaverlodge sends several passengers to hospital

RCMP say several passengers were taken to hospital with serious injuries after a charter bus rolled off a highway near Beaverlodge in northwestern Alberta early Wednesday morning. Police said officers responded to the crash at about 7 a.m. on Highway 672, west of Grande Prairie and northwest of Edmonton. According to RCMP, 17 people were on board the bus at the time of the rollover. Several passengers were transported to hospital, while others were assessed at the scene for minor injuries. Cpl. Mathew Howell said no fatalities had been reported as of Wednesday morning. Police have not said wha
punjab-cm-bhagwant-mann-meets-nitin-gadkari-shivraj-singh-chouhan-in-delhi
IndiaMay 13, 2026

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meets Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Delhi

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during a visit to New Delhi on Wednesday. Senior Punjab government officials were also present at the meeting. According to the Punjab government, discussions focused on National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in Punjab, including several works that have been delayed. Mann said the two sides discussed steps to expedite and complete the pending projects. Later, the chief minister also met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Mann said the meeting included detailed discu
AlbertaMay 13, 2026

Edmonton court hears evidence of prior dog attack at trial over death of 11-year-old boy

An Edmonton court heard testimony Wednesday about a previous violent dog attack involving two Cane Corsos at the centre of a criminal negligence trial tied to the death of an 11-year-old boy. Shawn Hesse testified that in 2023, his Pomeranian escaped from his property and ran toward the two dogs later involved in the death of Kache Grist. According to Hesse, the Cane Corsos grabbed the smaller dog from opposite sides and attempted to tear it apart. Hesse told the court he rushed the injured Pomeranian to a veterinarian, but the dog later died from its injuries. The Cane Corsos were owned by Cr

Related News