Fourty Four students who recently returned to South Africa from Wuhan in China were welcomed with excitement by Free State government.
They arrived in Bloemfontein on Monday evening.
They are part of more than a 100 students who were quarantined after coming back from Wuhan in China.
It was joy and excitement as the students arrived back on home soil.
Their year of study in China was cut short following an outbreak of coronavirus.
The students who were quarantined at the Ranch Resort hotel, received a heroes welcome from the provincial government officials.
In the video below, President Ramaphosa declares the Ranch hotel a COVID-19 free zone.
The students had this to say, “I’m very excited to be back home. Thanks to our government. I’m grateful to South African government. China is a beautiful country and I’m prepared to go back there again.”
Thirty six of these students have already completed their studies.
Eight of them will complete their studies Online.
Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela says they are excited that the students have come back home.
”We are happy that the students are all safe. These students are going to assist us,” says the Premier.
Meanwhile, Free State Health MEC Montsheng Tsiu says she is confident that the students will help the country’s economy grow.
”We are excited for their return. They are going to educate our communities. They are going to help us,” explains Tsiu.
The Free State government has again made a commitment to give more students an opportunity to further studies abroad.
Experts warn of second wave of COVID-19
Health experts have warned that South Africa will get a second wave of COVID19 after the end of the current lockdown.
South Africa is currently on a nationwide 21-day-lockdown in an attempt to stop the number of new infections across the country.
Professor Helen Rees of the South African Health Products Authority says they are monitoring countries like China on the experiences they’ve had with corona virus.
Rees has encouraged people to play their part to flatten the curve by practicing social distancing, ensuring good hgyiene and using protective gear like gloves and masks correctly.
“There will be people in the community that would have been exposed and we might get what is called a second wave because this virus will hide away.”
“As you know many people don’t have severe symptoms and that’s part of the problem, majority of people won’t be very ill. The virus might hide away or as we’ve seen in China it could get reimported into the country then we will get a second wave,” explains Rees.
Field workers to conduct door-to-door COVID-19 screening as cases rise
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government will in the next coming days roll out a screening, testing, tracing and medical management programme.
He says around 10,000 field workers will be visiting homes in villages, towns and cities to screen residents for COVID-19 symptoms.
“People with symptoms will be referred to local clinics or mobile clinics for testing. People who are infected with coronavirus, but who have no or moderate symptoms will remain in isolation at home or at a facility provided by government and those with severe symptoms will be transferred to hospitals,” says Ramaphosa.
“Using mobile technology, an extensive tracing system will be rapidly deployed to trace those who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases and to monitor the geographical location of new cases in real time.”
Non-compliance to lockdown regulations
Some South Africans in areas including Alexandra have been defiant to the orders government has given during the national shutdown. Five people in quarantine in the high density township after coming into contact with a person infected with the coronavirus.
In the video below, SABC News looks at the situation in Alexandra:
