EFF slams 'self-quarantine', calls for Covid-19 cases to be isolated on Robben Island

The EFF has slammed the government for allowing coronavirus-infected people in SA to self-quarantine.

On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that 61 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in the country.

TimesLIVE reported that Wits University has "encouraged" about 350 of its medical students to undergo self-quarantine after one of their classmates tested positive for the virus.

A group of more than 122 South Africans, who have been repatriated from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, China, arrived at the weekend and will be in quarantine for 21 days at Protea Hotel's The Ranch Resort, near Polokwane in Limpopo.

In a statement, the red berets slammed the latest move, saying the decision to allow people to self-quarantine “showed inconsistency and absolute incompetence".

According to the EFF, self-quarantine meant there would be “no supervision whatsoever of their activities or any guarantee they have indeed quarantined".

“It is ironic that more than 130 South Africans from Wuhan who have been confirmed not to be infected will be under forced, state quarantine.

“Yet, people who are infected are allowed to 'self-quarantine'. This shows the inconsistency and absolute incompetence of South African government policy on the spread of the virus,” said the party.

The EFF called for the immediate quarantine of all who are infected, and suggested Robben Island as a possible state quarantine site.

“We call for the immediate quarantine of all who are infected, preferably on Robben Island. It is clear SA does not have a special coronavirus facility for commiting infected people.

“Robben Island or a special facility must be immediately identified and prepared for medical care of all people infected with coronavirus,” said the EFF.

The party said it was “irresponsible and utterly dangerous” for the government to allow unmonitored self-quarantine.

“This did not work in other countries and will obviously not work here. Coronavirus will sweep all over our country with supersonic speed, all because the government lacks the courage to quarantine the infected.”