Back in SA from S Korea
Georgian LeeAnne Pratt arrived in South Africa last week Thursday, 26 March, from South Korea where she had been working on Jeju Island for the past year.
Pratt said the past few weeks have been a stressful time after her first flight home was cancelled due to Covid-19, and she was extremely grateful to be on home soil, even though in quarantine in a hotel in Boksburg.
"It was such a relief that my travel agent found a flight from Seoul to Johannesburg via Ethiopia at a time when airlines were halting operations everywhere," Pratt told George Herald from her hotel room.
She already started to experience the effect of Covid-19 on the world when she visited New Zealand and Australia in February, before the end of her last stretch at the two schools where she was working. "Two of my flights from Australia to Jeju were cancelled. When I finally got back to Jeju at the beginning of March, I had to selfisolate for two weeks."
Upon arrival at OR Tambo last Thursday, she was among a group of about 100 South Africans who had to go into quarantine for 14 days. Swab tests were performed on everyone and accommodation was organised for all after a lengthy wait on the airport. "At the moment, I'm a bit worried about what is going to happen next. There is no communication and I can't find out how I'm going to get to George since travel between the provinces is prohibited, but otherwise all is going well. Airplane meals are delivered to my door and fortunately I like airplane food!"
In response to the newspaper's query, Jethro Grootboom, Garden
Route coordinator for Government Communications, said Pratt and others in the group will be handled the same way as the 114 South Africans who were extracted from Wuhan. "After the 14 days of quarantine, they will be allowed to reunite with their families. Government will foot the bill for Ms Pratt's stay as well as travelling back to George."