BREAKING NEWS – Ranch Resort declared green zone, repatriates to go home

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared Protea Hotel Ranch Resort a green zone earlier today (Sunday) following the completion of a 14-day quarantine period during which repatriates from Wuhan in China were kept at the facility for self-isolation.
Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal had seven people in self-isolation respectively, while Gauteng had 29, Free State 44, Western Cape 11, Eastern Cape four and North West had two.
It was learnt that the group together with a team that brought the repatriates back home and the hotel staff who have been taking care of those in quarantine can leave the hospitality venue starting from tomorrow.
When briefing the media upon arrival at the hotel, Ramaphosa indicated that having been briefed by the Minister of Health Zwelini Mkhize government is now able to clear the establishment a green zone. It has been a red zone since the facility accommodated students, the cabin crew that went to fetch them as well as the military medical officers and the hotel staff. This was a mechanism to make sure that no case of corononavirus was brought to the country by the group from China. The group concluded a 14-day period and they can go home, Ramaphosa explained and reiterated that no one at the facility had contracted Coronavirus, hence it was safe to declare the area a green zone. He further said people could enter the green zone because there is no Coronovirus in the area.
After the brief address Ramaphosa had separate meet and greet sessions with the flight crew, repatriates and the hotel staff to applaud them for a job well done. He joked with the group saying they still had to face 18 more days of lockdown even after spending 51 days in self-isolation in China and 14 days of quarantine at the hotel. He urged them to spread awareness about the virus in their respective provinces for residents to know the dangers of the disease.
Polokwane Observer spoke to several repatriates who indicated that although it was now time to go home, they wished that the period could be prolonged because they enjoyed the food and hospitality at the hotel. They further gave the staff a thumbs up for taking good care of them during their stay. They also thanked everyone who risked their lives to make it a point that the group arrived home safely. They pledged that they will only go back to China when it is safe to do so as they still have contracts to work in the country.

Story/photos: Endy Senyatsi