SA Imposes Restrictions to Combat COVID-19

South Africa has imposed restrictions on its citizens to prevent the spread of Corona virus.

Currently, SA has registered 62 cases of COVID-19.

In an address to the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national disaster.

“Initially, it was people who had travelled out of the country, especially from Italy, who had positively tested for the virus. It is concerning that we are now dealing with internal transmission of the virus,” Mr Ramaphosa said.

Mr Ramaphosa said he would chair a government command council that would “coordinate all aspects of our extraordinary emergency response”.

According to BBC, among the measures he announced are the closure of nearly half – 35 out of 72 – of South Africa’s land border crossings from Monday, along with two of its eight sea ports
Banning foreign nationals from eight countries – including the UK and US – from entering South Africa from Wednesday, advising people to avoid domestic travel, shutting all schools with immediate effect until the end of the Easter holidays, banning all public gatherings of more than 100 with immediate effect.

This would affect the biggest annual event in South Africa , an Easter religious service attended by several million followers of the Zion Christian Church at its headquarters in northern Limpopo province.