Coronavirus: Wuhan evacuee 'should never have left China'

A man who returned to the UK to avoid coronavirus has said he "should never have left China" as things return to normal in Wuhan.

Matt Raw, from Cheshire, said he went "out of the pot, into the fire" when he was released from two-week quarantine after returning at the end of January.

He said his family came back to escape the "killer virus running loose".

He believes China has done "everything right" acting more quickly than the UK to restrict the spread of the disease.

Mr Raw, who lives in Wuhan with his wife, Ying, 38, and his 75-year-old mother, Hazel, said when the family left China, coronavirus was not in England.

They were among 83 British passengers flown out of Wuhan following the outbreak and had to stay in quarantine in Wirral in an accommodation block for NHS staff.

Mr Raw said: "I think the first case was while we were in quarantine in Arrowe Park, and I thought 'They have seen what happened in China, they will jump on this straight away'.

"They did nothing."

Mr Raw said for friends and family in Wuhan things were starting to get back to normal.

He said: "They're out of lockdown, it looks like they've got control of the situation.

"They're still being sensible, taking precautions and not going out unnecessarily."

Mr Raw said he will not return to China until there is a vaccine for Covid-19 making it safe for his mother, who has dementia, to travel.

He praised his neighbours where he is now living in Knutsford who have been supporting each other, making it all "very, very bearable indeed".

He said: "I would rather be in quarantine over here than in China, but I think, very definitely, that coming back here was a mistake.

"We've made our bed so we just have to put on a happy face and lie in it now."