An Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) employee wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus pushes trolleys at the international departures terminal at the O.R. Tambo international airport in Johannesburg, on March 17, 2020. – African countries have been among the last to be hit by the global COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic but as cases rise, many nations are now taking strict measures to block the deadly illness. (Photo by Luca Sola / AFP)
COVID-19: Non-South Africans turned away from OR Tambo airport
Only South Africans will be allowed to disembark international flights grounded at OR Tambo International Airport.
An Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) employee wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus pushes trolleys at the international departures terminal at the O.R. Tambo international airport in Johannesburg, on March 17, 2020. – African countries have been among the last to be hit by the global COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic but as cases rise, many nations are now taking strict measures to block the deadly illness. (Photo by Luca Sola / AFP)
Non-South Africans in international flights grounded at OR Tambo International Airport will not be allowed to disembark. This extreme measure is placed as a precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
International flights turned away
A total of 14 international flights were grounded at the airport on Friday, with authorities upholding government’s ban against incoming travellers from “high-risk countries”.
Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) revealed that only South African citizens would be allowed to disembark — and sent for intensive coronavirus screening.
“Please be advised that foreign nationals will not be permitted to disembark. The aircraft will be contained at an isolated bay with all officials ensuring the utmost care is taken. We are working with the airline to ensure that foreign nationals return to their country of origin.”
Airports Company South Africa
Travel regulations aimed at curbing the spread of #COVID19, gazetted by @Dotransport are being implemented today 20 March 2020. We will make more information available on measures shortly.
— ORTambo (@ortambo_int) March 20, 2020
SA takes extraordinary measures to curb COVID-19 spread
The travel ban, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, came into effect on Wednesday 18 March.
The affected countries include China and Italy — the territories hit the heaviest by the virus, as well as the likes of Spain and the United Kingdom (UK).
Ramaphosa said the ban came with a cancellation of visas from those countries, effective immediately.
“We are imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China as from 18 March 2020.
“We have cancelled visas to visitors from those countries from today and previously granted visas are hereby revoked. South African citizens are advised to refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, the United States, United Kingdom and other identified high-risk countries, such as China, Iran and South Korea. This is effective immediately.”
Cyril Ramaphosa
Global pandemic spreads
South Africa recorded its first case of coronavirus on Thursday 5 March when a 38-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man tested positive shortly after returning from a ski trip in Italy.
Until Sunday, all confirmed cases were those of people who had travelled abroad after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Shortly after the first case of local transmission was announced, Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster and, with it, came several measures to curb the spread of the virus, including travel restrictions.
As of Friday 20 March, South Africa was sitting at 202 confirmed COVID-19 cases, up by 51 from Thursday.
Globally, more than 250 000 infections have been recorded to date, with the death toll crossing the 10 000-mark.
China remains the most-affected in terms of total number of confirmed cases with more than 80 000, but has been surpassed with regards to the death toll by Italy, with 3 405 recorded deaths.
