ISLAMABAD: The Chinese Embassy on Sunday assured Pakistan that it had a "full understanding " of the situation the Pakistani students in Wuhan and Hubei province are facing. 

"China will care about you as our own. Things are getting better, and please rest assured you are well protected," tweeted the Chinese embassy in response to a tweet sent by Special Assistant to Prime Minister  on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

Earlier, Dr Mirza had tweeted  that the government is "very intensely" discussing their situation at the highest level of the Chinese government in a message to the Pakistani students in China and their families.

"[We] will make the best decision in view of all factors with reference to the devastating coronavirus potential global pandemic. Rest assured you are our own and we care!" tweeted the  special assistant.

Earlier, Pakistan's  Ambassador to China Naghmana Hashmi said on Sunday that due to lack of permission to visit the coronavirus-hit Wuhan, they could not reach stranded Pakistani students.

The Pakistani envoy said that until the quarantine period is completed there is a complete lockdown in Wuhan, otherwise, they would have reached the Pakistani students.

She said that the Pakistani officials are in contact with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing and Wuhan and will promptly reply to any query by a Pakistani citizen in China.The envoy said that they are also giving psychological assistance to the citizens stranded in the quarantined areas.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus surged past 800 in mainland China on Sunday, overtaking global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic, even as the World Health Organisation said the outbreak appeared to be "stabilising".