3-4 minutes
Pretoria - Around 151 South African citizens being
repatriated from Wuhan in China amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
outbreak will immediately be placed in quarantine when they arrive in
South Africa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Saturday.
For the past three weeks, government had been consulting stakeholders
in the hospitality industry and all spheres of government with a view
to identify suitable accommodation facilities for South African citizens
who would be repatriated from Wuhan, he said in a statement.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the repatriation following a
cabinet decision after due consideration of the circumstances, including
several requests from the families of South Africans in the city.
"About 151 South African nationals will be repatriated. They are
currently living under lock down conditions following the (COVID-19)
outbreak. We wish to reiterate that none of the affected individuals has
been diagnosed with the virus, nor have they exhibited any symptoms
thereof.
"As an added precautionary measure, it was decided that upon arrival
in South Africa these citizens will be placed in quarantine. We can
confirm that government is currently sourcing suitable accommodation
facilities all over the country. This process is now almost concluded.
This includes hotels, game reserves, and resorts in remote areas," he
said.
The various facilities had been assessed and once a decision was made
to select specific facilities, further consultation with stakeholders,
including leaders of society and communities at large, would be
undertaken.
"We also assure the public that the quarantine facility will have
very strict military security parameters. These are some of the measures
that will be put in place to ensure that communities that live nearby
such a facility are not in any way exposed and there is no contact with
people who will be under quarantine.
"We have now requested all the facilities we have engaged with in the
past three weeks to desist from engaging with the media, as this may
prejudice government’s planning and compromise security measures meant
for the local communities and even the citizens who will occupy the
accommodation."
The welfare of all citizens, both in the country and those in Wuhan,
was a priority. "We will continue to work towards strategies that are
aimed at protecting our own during this outbreak. We therefore express
our appreciation to the members of the media who have fulfilled their
duties while exercising restraint to allow for government to fulfill its
duty to its citizens.
"We have committed to being transparent, keep the media and the
public fully informed on all relevant information. We will not renege on
this commitment. But we also need the media to respect that people’s
lives are involved. They also have a right to privacy," Mkhize said.
Join Geezgo for free. Use Geezgo's end-to-end encrypted Chat with your Closenets (friends, relatives, colleague etc) in personalized ways.>>
Comments
Post a Comment