Protea Hotel's Ranch Resort, outside Polokwane in Limpopo, is under lockdown after it was confirmed on Thursday as the quarantine site for South Africans being repatriated from Wuhan in China - the epicentre of the coronavirus.

People in the area expressed mixed feelings about the group being so close to them, while staff at the hotel claimed they were not ready for the news that they would have the responsibility of seeing to those from Wuhan.

The group is expected to arrive in South Africa on Friday.

The site has been under the watchful eye of the military and police since Wednesday following threats to disrupt the government's plans by, among others, the African National Congress (ANC) task team in the Capricorn District and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says that the South African nationals stuck in Wuhan are "fine" and are expected to be flown back home "before the weekend is over."

A strong police deployment meant, however, these threats did not materialise. A stretch of the R101 road, which leads to the site's main entrance, has been sealed off.

Before a media briefing at the site, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma met with the resort's workers behind closed doors to address their concerns.

It is understood they were assured they would continue to get their full salaries for the duration of the quarantine plus an additional R100 per day. 

Not briefed

However some workers, who spoke to News24 on condition of anonymity, said they were not properly briefed by management on what to expect. 

"The information was coming in drips and drabs, and we were confused. We didn't know what to expect and there was a lot of talk around this issue," a worker told News24.

But the resort's management said it had communicated with clients that the premises would be closed for the next 30 days.

While certain organisations initially reacted angrily to the plan, some members of the public had mixed feelings about the plan. 

Tebogo Thobejane was concerned that the site was situated near Polokwane's CBD.

It is 25km outside the city and is accessible either through the N1 or R101.

"Most people converge on the CBD every day for various reasons and I'm just concerned how the [quarantine] site is going to affect the everyday life here. There has not been information and that's the real concern.

"If some of the people are found to be infected, how is this going to affect us?" Thobejane asked.

Amos Ledwaba said: "We all have to accept that something has to be done about the coronavirus so it does not spread. 

"Those people [being repatriated from China] have to eventually come home and unfortunately Polokwane was identified as a quarantine area."

Fear

The fear in the province was also fuelled by the return of 14 Polokwane-based Capricorn TVET college students from China. They are in self-imposed isolation and have tested negative.

However, Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said the 14 were not infected.

Mkhize said on Thursday he met with the African National Congress (ANC) provincial working committee to discuss the quarantine site and concerns raised.

On the possibility of protests and marches against the plan, Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha said: "We've already started a process of conscientising our people. We're going to distribute pamphlets on Saturday. 

"The PS [provincial secretary of the ANC] took to public platforms saying there is no coronavirus being brought here.