PSA says it is evaluating potential evacuation options for its 38 expatriate employees in Wuhan as the crisis surrounding the coronavirus shows no sign of abating.
The French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe is meeting with relevant Cabinet members this afternoon (26 January) in Paris to address the situation, which has already seen three coronavirus cases confirmed in France, the first in Europe.
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Tens of millions of people are believed to be in quarantine in China, while stringent bans on air and rail travel have been imposed in a bid to halt the spread of the virus, which has already moved far beyond the People’s Republic’s borders.
PSA is looking at the possibility of taking its expatriates who show no signs of infection, out of Wuhan in Hubei Province by coach along a safe corridor to Changsa and from there by air back to France, with the French Foreign Ministry (Quai d’Orsay) examining the practicalities of such an evacuation.
The French automaker has three plants in Wuhan in the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen Automobile (DPCA) joint venture, although the manufacturer remained tight-lipped as to any current production status, preferring to focus on the significant humanitarian challenges it now faces.
“We have a crisis cell which has been in place for several days now,” a PSA spokesman told just-auto from France. “Our clear intention is to get our staff back to Europe as soon as possible. This crisis cell is calling several times per day to assess the situation.
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By GlobalData“We have 38 expatriates and their families. The others – because of Chinese New Year – are already on holiday. First part is we take care of our ex-pat families; secondly with Dongfeng, we have three plants in Wuhan and we are working very closely to take care of our Chinese employees. [We are ] also working with the Chinese authorities to take the best solutions to save them from the risk of contamination.
“I would say it is moving every hour [and] we receive updates from the Chinese and French governments. There is a meeting of the French Prime Minister today and the authorities will communicate later this afternoon. There are several options, to go out of the zone with a coach or go out of the country with an aircraft. For those people who are not contaminated, they could go out in a safe corridor.
“The question is not about economics and production, it is about people, [that is] our core priority.”
The Quai d’Orsay echoed PSA’s comments concerning a potential evacuation of French citizens by coach, adding it was working with its Embassy in Beijing on the matter to stay in touch with its citizens.
It noted it was also in “permanent contact” with its Consulate General in Wuhan, as well as the French diplomatic community in China. “We are particularly aware of the concerns of our compatriots in Wuhan,” said the Foreign Ministry in Paris. “Our Consulate General team is active 24h/24 to keep them informed, to listen to them and to give the necessary advice.”
France’s Health Ministry confirmed three patients – two in Paris and one in Bordeaux – had been hospitalised with the coronavirus with isolation and hygiene measures put into place.
Coronavirus symptoms include fever and respiratory difficulties, with the Health Ministry confirming it had launched an in-depth epidemiological investigation.
“The regional corporate team based in China and the corporate teams prepare the elements requested to ease the transportation, accommodation during the quarantine in Changsha and further accompany the employees on the way back to their home countries,” added PSA.
“In parallel, Groupe PSA and its Chinese partner, DFM are fully mobilised to also implement appropriate measures to take care about the DPCA joint venture Chinese employees, in total cooperation with the Chinese authorities.”
