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Restrictions on movement and business have been gradually eased since June, but borders have been sealed to prevent importation of the virus from abroad.
Passengers wearing protective masks arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on March 2, 2020, amid concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic caused by the new coronavirus. Image: AFP
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that borders will reopen in most countries next month as the country further relaxes anti-coronavirus measures.
The continent’s most industrialized economy closed its borders at the beginning of a strict lockdown on March 27 to limit the spread of the virus.
Restrictions on movement and business have been gradually eased since June, but borders have been kept sealed to prevent importation of the virus from abroad.
“We will gradually and cautiously reduce restrictions on international travel … allowing travel to and from South Africa for business, pleasure and other travel with effect from October 1, 2020,” Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation.
“Travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that have high infection rates,” he added.
“A list of those countries will be published and it will be based on the latest scientific data that we can obtain from those countries.”
South Africa has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, with more than 650,000 infections and more than 15,600 deaths recorded to date, about half the total number of cases detected on the continent.
Ramaphosa said the country had “managed to get through the worst” of its outbreak.
He noted that the number of new cases had dropped from an average of 12,000 a day at “the height of the storm” in July to less than 2,000.
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