Plane carrying over 100 Wuhan evacuees back on SA soil

The group, who have not tested positive for the coronavirus, will stay at the Ranch Resort in Polokwane under strict quarantine for 21 days as a precautionary measure.

Media waits at the Polokwane International Airport where a group of over 100 South Africans repatriated from Wuhan in China arrived before going to the Ranch Resort. Picture: Abigail Xavier/EWN

Masechaba Sefularo & Ahmed Kajee | 501 days ago

JOHANNESBURG – The South African Airways (SAA) chartered aircraft carrying the more than 100 South Africans who have been evacuated from the Chinese City of Wuhan, where the COVID-19 outbreak is thought to have originated, landed at the Polokwane International Airport on Saturday.

The group, which as not tested positive for the coronavirus, will stay at the Ranch Resort in Polokwane under strict quarantine for 21 days as a precautionary measure.

This period may be extended should any person display symptoms of COVID-19.

WATCH: A look outside the quarantine site in Limpopo

Government spokesperson Popo Maja says: “I can confirm that the flight from Wuhan City in China has arrived with 114 South Africans, plus 18 crew members and 14 medical staff and three embassy staff.”

The group will be tested at the airport and will be escorted by bus to the ranch hotel 30km from the airport.

Meanwhile, on Friday the health department announced eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in South Africa to 24.

From the 16 that were announced on Thursday, eight more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.

This is where the new confirmed cases come from:

GAUTENG: 4

⁃ A 39-year-old female who had travelled to Switzerland and Austria

⁃ A 50-year-old male who had travelled to Austria

⁃ A 21-year-old female who had travelled to Italy

⁃ A 57-year-old male who had travelled to Switzerland

KWAZULU-NATAL: 2

⁃ A 79-year-old male who had travelled to Greece and Italy

⁃ A 52-year-old male who had travelled to Switzerland