PRETORIA, South Africa (CU)_In light of the significant surge in COVID-19 infections in South Africa, which health authorities attribute to widespread holiday trips, the government has decided to close the country’s 20 land borders until February 15.
“To reduce congestion and the high risk of transmission, Cabinet has decided that the 20 land ports of entry that are currently open will be closed until the 15th of February for general entry and departure,” the official Twitter page of the South African President tweeted.
However, these border closures will have several exceptions such as those traveling for medical emergencies.
Meanwhile, in a television national address, President Cyril Ramaphosa also announced that South Africa has secure 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and that the government is “exploring all avenues to get as many vaccine doses as possible for South Africans”.
“While there are several promising negotiations with a number of different manufacturers that still need to be concluded, we have to date secured 20 million doses to be delivered mainly in the first half of the year,” he said.
The new mutant Coronavirus strain discovered in South Africa is making the already dire situation worse, as hospitals in the country’s most populous province, Gauteng, which includes the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, are overwhelmed by the dramatic increase in daily infections. Some patients are even being treated on fields outside hospital buildings.
Last week, South African funeral home directors said they are running out of coffins owing to the growing number of COVID-19 deaths.
As this new variant of the virus caused a 120 per cent surge in virus-induced deaths in the country, some funerals have had to be postponed because there is no burial space, while others have cremations done at night, the National Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa said.
According to the country’s Department of Health, South Africa has reported 1,246,643 COVID-19 infections and 33,579 fatalities.
