THE government of South Africa has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from Coronavirus high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South, Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China.
The travel ban takes effect from Wednesday March 18, said the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a press briefing on Sunday.
Visas granted to visitors from those countries have also been revoked with immediate effect, said the president.
The governmemt has also advised South African citizens to refrain from traveling to and through the countries in the European Union, the US, the UK, Iran, China and South Korea.
“Any foreign nationals who has visited any of the high risk countries in the past 20 days will be denied visa.
“And South African citizens returning from any of those countries mentioned will be tested and quanratined on return to the country.”
The president said 37 of the 72 of ports of entry to South Africa would be closed down.
The government has also prohibited gathering of more than 100 people in the country to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus.
Schools also would be closed down from Wednesday untill after Easter, said Mr. Ramaphosa.
The president has therefore called on all businesses, shopping malls, entertainment centres and other places frequented by large number of people to take necessary measures to intensify hygiene control.
“We must minimise physical contact with other people and encourage the elbow greetings rather shaking hands,” the president said.
“This epidemic will pass, but it is up to us to determine how long it would last,” said the president.
South African government has just repatriated 104 of its citizens from Wuhan in China.
Ajibola Amzat, Managing Editor at The ICIR. He can be reached via [email protected]
and @ajibolaamzat on Twitter.