South Africa has declared as state of national disaster following the confirmation that over 50 people had tested positive for the pandemic corona virus.
The announcement was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during an address to the
nation. He emphasised on the need to prevent further spread of the virus in the
Southern African nation.
Declaration of National Disaster
“We have now declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. This will enable us to have an integrated and co-ordinated disaster management mechanism that will focus on preventing and reducing the outbreak of this virus,” the president said.
Ramaphosa said a rapid effective response system has been put in place. Other systems put in place are for the purposes of limiting contact with infected.
On Foreign and Domestic Travel
The government has decided to ban foreigners from high risk countries as starting from the 18th March. All visas from High Risk Countries have been cancelled. South African residents should avoid travelling to high risk countries. The Ministry of Health in conjunction with other government departments will periodically issue communication about travel alerts.
All South African citizens coming from high risk countries are encouraged directed to self quarantine.Citizens coming from medium risk country travel to be subjected to testing. South Africa has a total of 72 ports of entry and 35 of those will be shut down. Two sea ports will be closed. The government is also discouraging domestic travel.
On Gatherings
Gathering of more than 100 is now prohibited. Those who conduct small gatherings, the organiser must have a plan to ensure limited contact and adherence to the specified hygienic requirements for the people invited to gather. All schools will close on Wednesday until after the Easter Holidays.
Impact on education
Universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions will be consulted in due course as they cannot just close abruptly. All businesses should ensure they intensify measures to ensure hygiene and control. Shopping malls have been directed ensure hygiene at all entry and exit points.
Hospitals and funding
The Ministry of Health will increase the capacity of hospitals. A monitoring system has been implemented. The government has also embarked on mass campaigns to educate the citizens. Funding has been made available to reinforce the systems introduced. Lastly, the National Command Council will meet thrice a week.