The Limpopo Health Department says it is on high alert as travellers make their way to the province for the festive season. This time last year, the province saw a rise in COVID-19 infections, with authorities blaming the spike on inter-provincial movement.
However, this year the department says it is better prepared for the influx of visitors.
Limpopo is regarded as the gateway to Africa. It is the northernmost province leading to the rest of the African continent.
It is home to one of the biggest and busiest ports of entry, the Beitbridge border post in Musina.
During the festive season holidays, it welcomes a high number of migrant workers. It also boasts glorious tourism destinations.
Some travellers come to the province for family visits.
Limpopo province sees an increase in traffic volumes as travellers visit the province:
Health MEC Dr. Phophi Ramathuba says they learnt painful lessons due to the influx of people during the festive season last year.
“What we saw last year is that most of the people did not really believe that indeed we are going to see a disaster. The inter-provincial movement cost havoc. The history is painful, no one wants to go back and recall and relive what happened.”
As many people are expected to descend here, the health authorities are appealing to travellers to make use of the vaccination points at roadblocks across the province.
“We’re saying this time around the difference is that there’s a vaccine last year we stopped you from coming because we had any other bo protective measures especially for our people here in the province this time around we are saying welcome to the province provided you also take it upon yourself to get vaccinated pop up sites are all over the country and also as a province we are saying as you enter some of the roadblocks we are going to offer you that vaccine,” says Ramathuba.
The latest coronavirus statistics in SA:
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