Fourteen international flights from countries at high risk of the coronavirus have been grounded at the OR Tambo International Airport.
Spokesperson for the airport, Betty Maloka says only South African passengers and those with permanent residency permits are allowed to disembark while the rest of the passengers will be sent back to their the countries of origin.
“It will then be grounded at the airport until it can return to the country of origin, but South African citizens and permanent residence are allowed to disembark and they will go through a rigorous medical assessment. When the aircraft goes back it goes back with those passengers and those foreigners. There is no disruptions at the airport, both domestic and international, and this is only affecting international arrivals from those high risk countries.”
In the video below, Betty explains where the flights are from:
President Cyril Ramaphosa this week announced a travel ban to high risk areas like Italy, Germany, United States and Iran amongst others to stop the further spead of the virus to South Africa.
[Read] South African Airways @flysaahas announced that it will immediately suspend all international operations until 31 May 2020, in response to government’s travel ban aimed at stopping the transmission of #Covid19InSA #Covid_19 https://t.co/fl1uwKTENt @Airports_ZA @ortambo_int pic.twitter.com/Y6Putx8b7g
— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) March 20, 2020
SA’s confirmed COVID-19 cases rise to 202
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has confirmed that the COVID-19 cases in the country have risen to 202.
Briefing the media in Bloemfontein, Mkhize urged South Africans to turn their homes into places of worship this Easter.
Earlier, he visited the Brandwag Primary School in Bloemfontein, where screening of about 600 pupils is taking place. A parent of one of the learners at Brandwag Primary School tested positive for the coronavirus.
In the video below, Mkhize speaks to the SABC News from the school:
