Evacuated Wuhan group could soon be heading home

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed that all those South Africans repatriated from Wuhan have tested negative for the coronavirus and could soon be heading home.

Earlier this month, more than 100 South Africans, mostly students, were evacuated from China’s Wuhan – the then epicentre of the coronavirus – and were temporarily resettled in the Protea Ranch Hotel, and restricted from enjoying family visits.

Mkhize made the announcement while addressing a ceremony at the Chinese embassy in Pretoria over the weekend, to accept a donation of two cheques totalling R3 million (R2 million from the Chinese government and R1 million from Huawei South Africa) towards the government’s fight against the spread of Covid-19.

Mkhize’s remarks suggested that the confinement of the group could soon be over.

“We wish to thank China for looking after South Africans,” said Mkhize.

After 80,000 people were infected by the virus, it emerged that no one among them was a South African.

“A number of them had finished school and wanted to come back home. Others were homesick, missing their families.

“After they were tested in China, we have again tested them here at home.

“It is my pleasure to announce that no one in the group is Covid-19 positive.”

Mkhize said there was “so much all of South Africa and the world has learnt from China on how to contain the spread of the disease”.

“China has been one of the good examples of how to fight the coronavirus,” he said. “Initially, it looked like an impossible task. The whole world was terrified at the thousands infected by the virus.

“China took firm steps, which included a lockdown approach, restricting the movement of people, built hospitals in seven days and moved people away from general wards.

“These were all valuable lessons for us and, indeed, the whole world.

“South Africa will soon be engaging with various municipal authorities in Beijing on how they dealt with administration and the management of so many people in such a big city – controlling movement and putting measures in place to contain the virus.

“That is an intervention which you will not find written in any medical journal.”

Following financial assistance from the United States and Germany, China has become the third country to have supported South Africa in the fight against the pandemic.

Mkhize described the donation as “a mark of friendship and solidarity between the People’s Republic of China and South Africa in the fight against the coronavirus”.

Said outgoing Chinese ambassador Lin Songtian: “The epidemic is now completely under our control in China. There are no more new cases within China, except 20 to 30 people who are coming from outside China and currently being treated.”

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