Limpopo residents outraged over coronavirus isolation centre

Residents of Limpopo province in northern South Africa have been left outraged by the decision to quarantine repatriated citizens from Wuhan - the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak - at a resort in the province from Friday. 

Officials say that all 122 people have been tested and do not have the virus. They also say that the resort was chosen due to its proximity to the airport. 

However, residents claim that the government is exposing them to the virus unnecessarily, and that Limpopo’s health system cannot handle a potential outbreak. 

Locals have taken to Twitter to voice their frustration, using the hashtag #LimpopoIsNotADumpingSite. Many are suggesting that a military base should have been used as a quarantine facility instead. 

One user, Phasha Thato, tweeted “Our clinics run out of flu medication every month. They run out of testing kits. They run out of all types of Pills. [Six] villages share one clinic. 10 villages share [one] hospitals. Stop trying to be a hero. Whatever they paid you, is not worth our lives”.

South Africa has so far confirmed 16 cases of the coronavirus. 

Photo: News24