BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Chinese nationals who are family members of foreign citizens can board evacuation flights from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, if they wish.

“For family members of Chinese citizens of foreign nationals in Wuhan, taking into account family factors, if they wish, they can leave with their families,” the ministry said in a short statement sent to Reuters.

A number of countries have already or are planning to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, which the government has put under a virtual lockdown to control the virus, including the United States, Japan and Britain.