Nyakallo Tefu
A total of 15 officials from the Department of Health and Department of Defence are currently on their way to fetch 151 South Africans from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
The plane took off on Tuesday evening and is expected to hit the shores of the Philippines on Wednesday to refuel, rest and to re-stock essential foodstuffs needed for the return journey.
Though none of the South Africans being evacuated from China are known to have contracted COVID-19, they will be quarantined for 21 days on their return home.
In a statement, the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) tasked with the management of the county’s readiness to handle the spread of COVID-19, said the flight will leave Wuhan City at the early hours of the morning and land back in South Africa on Friday, 13 March 2020.
The IMTT added that repatriated citizens will be quarantined for a period of 21 days, which may be extended should any person display symptoms of COVID-19 at the identified site.
“The IMTT would also like to confirm, as initially reported, that the repatriated citizen will be quarantined for an initial period of 21 days which may be extended should any person display symptoms of COVID-19 [coronavirus] at the identified site,” it said in a statement.
“We reiterate that no South Africans coming home returning home are showing any symptoms of the coronavirus. At the appropriate time, the quarantine site will be announced and the details of the site management plan will be shared with members of the public and the media,” it added.
Meanwhile, six new cases have been confirmed in South Africa on Wednesday morning bringing the total cases to 13.
The health ministry confirmed these new cases:
* 4 in Gauteng
* 1 in Kwa-Zulu Natal * 1 Western Cape
