South Africa has closed its land borders to most travellers until 15 February in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the closure in a nationwide broadcast on Monday night.
The president said the pandemic in South Africa is currently at its most devastating, with infection numbers far exceeding the peak experienced in the first wave.
Ramaphosa said the strain placed on hospitals by rising admissions of Covid-19 patients was cause for concern.
More than 148,000 Covid-19 patients had been admitted to hospital since the outbreak of the disease in SA. There are now 15,000 coronavirus patients in hospitals, a third of them on oxygen ventilators.
“Therefore, there is an intensive focus in our health facilities on increasing oxygen supply and activating field hospital beds. In several parts of the country, hospital admissions are also much higher now than during the first wave. Additional posts that were vacant are being filled, and personal protective equipment stocks are being jointly monitored with the Office of Health Standards Compliance,” he said.
The province of KwaZulu Natal has seen the most cases per head of population in recent weeks, but Mr Ramaphosa said infection numbers in Gauteng are growing exponentially and are expected to increase further as travellers return from their holidays.
Many restrictions put in place at the end of December will be extended.
The ban on alcohol sales remains in force, beaches and parks in hotpots remain shut, and social gatherings are still banned.
President Ramaphosa warned that funerals continue to be super-spreader events.
“Providing a fitting send-off for a departed loved one is deeply ingrained in all of us. There are certain rituals that we perform in line with our respective cultures and traditions; not just at the funeral itself but in the days leading up to the burial. But these are all things we simply cannot do at this time,” said Ramaphosa.
“We are in the grip of a deadly pandemic and all these activities that would normally take place are just increasing our exposure to risk — for ourselves, for the bereaved family and for our own families at home.
“There will be a time when we can go to the home of the deceased to pay our respects, and to sympathise properly with our neighbours, friends and relatives. Funerals have become a death trap for many of our people. For now, it is best and safer to stay at home.”
President Ramaphosa said the vaccine programme that South Africa plans to undertake will be the most ambitious logistical project in the country’s history.
He said that 20 million doses of the vaccine had already been secured, for delivery in the coming months, and that negotiations are ongoing with a number of different manufacturers.