South africans flown back from coronavirus hit wuhan

You're referring to the evacuation of South African citizens from Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes, in January 2020, the South African government evacuated its citizens from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, due to the rapid spread of the virus. The evacuation was part of a global effort by many countries to repatriate their citizens from Wuhan and surrounding areas.

On January 29, 2020, a South African Airways (SAA) plane, accompanied by a medical team and officials from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), departed from Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport and landed at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The evacuation flight brought back 214 South African citizens, including students, tourists, and business travelers, who were stranded in Wuhan due to the lockdown and travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. The evacuees were taken to a quarantine facility in Pretoria, where they were monitored for 14 days for any signs of the virus.

The evacuation was a complex operation that required close coordination between the South African government, the Chinese authorities, and international partners. It was also a significant logistical challenge, given the scale of the outbreak and the need to ensure the safety and well-being of the evacuees.

The successful evacuation of South African citizens from Wuhan was seen as a major achievement by the government, and it marked one of the earliest and most significant evacuations of its kind during the pandemic.