SANDF plane leaves to bring South Africans home from Wuhan
Plans have been finalised for SANDF to bring home 122 South Africans who are currently in Wuhan, China.
An aircraft manned by South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members will leave South Africa on Tuesday night to repatriate South Africans from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
In a statement released on Tuesday 10 March, the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) announced that all plans had been finalised for the preparation of the 122 South Africans who are currently residing in Wuhan.
Originally the government received over 180 requests from the citizens residing in Wuhan to be repatriated back to South Africa. However, some South Africans indicated to the government their decision to stay on at their respective commitments in Wuhan.
SANDF to leave for coronavirus epicentre in Wuhan
According to EWN, the flight is set to leave at 21:00 on Tuesday.
“The [SANDF] flight will leave from OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday 10 March 2020 at 21:00. On board the flight will be the flight crew from the aircraft company and a total of 15 officials from the Department of Health and the Department of Defense (Military Health). The flight will stop over in the Philippines on 11 March 2020 for refuelling, to rest and to re-stock essential foodstuffs needed for the return journey,” the statement read.
“After the stop-over in the Philippines, the aircraft will fly to Wuhan City. Upon arrival, the team will work with our Chinese counterparts but also the staff of our Embassy in China, screening our repatriates and checking required travel documents,” it added.
“The flight will leave Wuhan City at the early hours of the morning and land back in South Africa on 13 March 2020. In due course, announcements will be made about the arrival of the South Africans home,” it added.
Returning South Africans will be quarantined for 21 days
All repatriated citizens will be quarantined upon their arrival back home with SANDF. The quarantine period will be extended should any person display symptoms.
“The IMTT would also like to confirm, as initially reported, that the repatriated citizen will be quarantined for an initial period of 21 days which may be extended should any person display symptoms of COVID-19 [coronavirus] at the identified site,” it said.
“We reiterate that no South Africans coming home returning home are showing any symptoms of the coronavirus. At the appropriate time, the quarantine site will be announced and the details of the site management plan will be shared with members of the public and the media,” it added.
After the mandated quarantined period, those citizens who are cleared will be re-integrated to the communities and be reunited with their families.
“We urge South Africans to welcome these fellow citizens with warm hands as they begin to rebuild their lives in the country after what has been a very trying time for most repatriates,” it said.