South Africa closes land borders as Covid-19 infections increase

in an effort to deal with the congestion and also high infection threat as many South Africans return home after the holidays.

“To decrease congestion and the high risk of transmission, Cabinet announced that the 20 land ports of entry that are currently open will certainly be closed up until the 15th of February for general entry and departure,” Ramaphosa disclosed.

The border affected are Lebombo, Maseru Bridge, Beitbridge, Oshoek, Ficksburg as well as Kopfontein.

The president, nevertheless, stated that exceptions would be made for the transportation of fuel, cargo, emergency medical attention, the return of South African nationals and permanent residents or persons with other valid visas.

He recognized the impacts the pandemic had actually had on the country with thousands of patients been attended to by the medical practitioners,

“The pandemic in our nation is currently at its most disastrous. The high cases of new infections, the number of patients admitted at the health centre, as well as the deaths that continue to occur come much more than it has ever been since the first case was discovered in our nation,” he said in a televised address.