Ranch Resort declared Covid-19 ‘green zone’ by Ramaphosa

The repatriated group from Wuhan has been cleared to return to their families after testing negative for the coronavirus in a second series of tests since their arrival on 14 March 2020.

Picture for illustration. SANDF soldiers guarding the entrance to The Ranch Resort where the repatriated South Africans from Wuhan will be quarantined, 13 March 2020, Polokwane. Picture: Jacques Nelles

The Ranch Resort where the 112 South Africans who were repatriated from Wuhan, China were staying under quarantine has been declared a green zone by Cyril Ramaphosa. This means that no one in the facility has the coronavirus.

The evacuees, hotel staff, flight crew and technical team were all placed under quarantine at the resort, about 25km outside Polokwane, two weeks ago.

“We have gone past the 14 days of quarantine and everybody in this facility has been tested and has been found to be negative of the coronavirus; with that doctor Mkhize has said we can declare that this is now a green zone,” said Ramaphosa who was at the venue to see the group off before they were reunited with their families.

“It has been a red zone all along where we had put our students, the cabin crew of the flight that fetched them, as well as our military medical officers and the crew that flew them here, in quarantine, together with the staff that work here,” he added.

EWN reports that the group has been cleared to return to their families after testing negative for the coronavirus in a second series of tests since their arrival on 14 March 2020. The group was originally supposed to be quarantined for 21 days but they are being released earlier than expected due to these results.

Ramaphosa said nobody in the facility had contracted the virus and all precautionary measures were taken to ensure that no one was infected.

The government has made all the necessary transport arrangements to get each person home.

As of Saturday, South Africa’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases was at 1 187, increasing from 1 170 on Friday.

Ramaphosa is later today expected to chair a virtual meeting of the National Command Council, which is coordinating the national emergency response to the pandemic.