Mkhize speaks out against fake news: Being black is not a defence

Speaking in Polokwane, Limpopo, at a media briefing at the Protea Ranch Hotel about the arrival of 121 South Africans from Wuhan, China, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said that there had in fact been no local transmission as yet of Covid-19 in South Africa, as earlier reported.

The number of people in the country who had thus far been diagnosed with the coronavirus was therefore revised down to 16 from 17.

The hotel will be where the 121 citizens will be quarantined, he confirmed. The original number of people expected to be repatriated had been 122.

He spoke out harshly against fake news, especially the latest apparent piece of nonsense that the virus is less likely to affect people with “more pigmentation”, something which has been echoed in some global reports.

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Mkhize said the virus was making no distinction between races and nationalities, or whether you are rich or poor. He said it was important to educate people to understand that only 20% of people with the disease would need to be treated at a healthcare facility and that when the health department spoke about “self-quarantine”, it meant that a patient was expected to stay at home and not have contact with others.

This was perfectly acceptable practice and did not mean government was abdicating its responsibility.

Earlier, government had said in a statement that in the Free State a 32-year-old male came into contact with a Chinese businessman, and then tested positive. This was thought to be the first local transmission incident as all other patients had been travelling abroad.

The patient subsequently tested negative, Mkhize said, backtracking on the earlier statement.

Mkhize added that 14 students who returned from China to Limpopo all tested negative too.

The minister added that government had decided to decentralise testing and allow it to be done at provincial level and using private labs.

Turning his attention to the SA National Defence Force mission to repatriate the South African citizens from China, the minister paid tribute to the brave individuals who had volunteered to bring the affected individuals home.

He said the group would be back in the country before the weekend and made it clear that all of them were showing no indications of sickness.

The Ranch Resort near Polokwane was identified as a quarantine proximity point for these citizens. It was identified following a breakdown of talks over the initial quarantine point, which had been in the Free State.

“Upon arrival in South Africa, they will be placed in quarantine for 21 days as an additional precautionary measure,” the president had earlier said, though Mkhize said the first 14 days would be the most critical, as two weeks is known to be the period that the disease can lie dormant without someone showing symptoms. They would add a week just to be safe.

The minister said that during those 14 to 21 days the facilities would be secured and patrolled by both the army and the police, not because the people were infected or being treated as criminals, but merely to ensure that the quarantine is observed conscientiously.

Mkhize added that the people who had been quarantined in China in single rooms would be catered for in a similar manner, and families would also be allowed to stay together.

Thaba Nchu was initially looked at and then not used, and another facility in KwaZulu-Natal was also looked at but there was a shortage of rooms and the nearest airport was too far.

The minister provided a breakdown of which provinces the 121 people came from.

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Paul Shearer, the general manager of The Ranch Resort, had earlier confirmed that the establishment was identified as the quarantine proximity point, which Mkhize said was identified as “ideal”.

“All the negotiations have been put behind us. We thought you as the media should come here today. It’s the last time you will be able to come. After today, this will be a no-fly zone, a no-access zone. Not even a drone will be allowed.”

All the staff and the hotel management and owners would be compensated for the three-week period. Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said they had made it clear to staff that it was not compulsory for anyone to work there.

Mkhize said “law of the military” would be in place from now on. Anyone who showed any evidence of the presence of coronavirus would be removed from The Ranch and taken for treatment. “There are no patients we are bringing here.”

The minister said Momentum had offered limited life cover for all the workers at The Ranch and thanked other private sector companies such as Vodacom for making contributions. He called on other private sector companies to “stand together” with government to defeat the disease.

The interministerial team gets to The Ranch Hotel, outside Polokwane for a media briefing for the 122 South Africans earmarked to land on Friday from Wuhan, China, after weeks of being trapped in coronavirus-infested Wuhan. Picture: Alex Matlala

Chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Wednesday that the new coronavirus outbreak could now be categorised as a pandemic.

The virus has spread to more than 100 countries, with over 124,000 cases and 4,500 deaths reported.

Although China remains the worst-affected country, with more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths, the South African government has issued a statement confirming that South Africa now has 17 cases of Covid-19.

This after an additional four cases were confirmed on Wednesday.

The department’s earlier statement confirmed additional cases from the following provinces:

One case in KwaZulu-Natal: A 38-year-old man from Durban who lives in Turkey was visiting his family in South Africa when he tested positive for the coronavirus. He had travelled to the UK and returned to South Africa on 7 March.

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One case in Mpumalanga: A 27-year-old female who travelled to the US returned to South Africa on 7 March, where she tested positive.

One case in Gauteng: A 43-year-old male from Johannesburg travelled to New York via Dubai and returned to South Africa on 8 March.

Mkhize said that at this stage, all patients are self-quarantining, and are exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms. They are receiving symptomatic treatment.

The department’s tracing teams are currently making a list and have started contacting people the patients may have come into contact with.

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