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Africa News of Monday, 16 March 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

[VIDEO] South African President declares national state of disaster over coronavirus

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa play videoPresident Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has declared a national state of disaster due to the coronavirus pandemic.

South African, as of today, has confirmed a total of 61 cases an according to the president, they all came from outside of Africa.

Ramaphosa announced the travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, US, UK and China as from 18th March 2020.

Due to this, "we have cancelled visas to visitors from those countries from today. Previously granted visas have been revoked as well," the president said.

With this new status, he advised, South Africans should refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, the United States, Britain and other high-risk areas.

"This is effective immediately," he said, adding that any foreign national who had visited any of the high-risk countries in the past 20 days would be denied a visa.

"South African citizens returning from these countries will be subjected to testing and self-isolation or quarantine on return. Travellers from medium risk countries such as Portugal, Hong Kong and Singapore will be required to undergo high-intensity screening.

"All travellers who have entered South Africa from high-risk countries since mid-February will be required to hand themselves over for testing. We will strengthen screening and testing measures at the OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports."

The country has also said that 35 out of the 53 land ports of entry will be shut down from Monday, while two of the eight seaports will be shut down as well "for passengers and crew changing."

Ramaphosa said that classifying the country as a national disaster zone "will enable us to have an integrated and coordinated disaster management mechanism that will focus on preventing and reducing the outbreak of this virus.

"We will also be able to set up emergency, rapid and effective response systems to mitigate the severity of its impact," the president said.

He added that "we are now dealing with internal transmission of the virus. This calls for an extraordinary response – there can be no half measures."

APA