[ad_1]
By staff reporter 
6h ago
Cape Town – The Western Cape Provincial Joint Operations Center (JOC), together with the South African Police Services, have worked hard in planning and executing several repatriation operations.
In total, 5,276 people have been repatriated to Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Belgium, Canada, Brazil and Switzerland.
This was revealed by Prime Minister Alan Winde in his weekly digital conference on the province’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some of these operations have been logistically complex, with several flights taking off the same day. We are grateful to everyone involved in helping to ensure that these operations were conducted with the utmost respect for the safety of all involved.” he said.
“The extension of the closure period has seen increased demand among foreign visitors who wish to return home. We will continue to work closely with the various embassies and consulates to accommodate their requests.”
The Western Cape government said that foreign citizens wishing to return to their homes should contact their various embassies or consulates to organize this.
Earlier in the day, Argus reported that foreign nations gathered at the Cape Town stadium for an inspection before buses picked them up to take them to the airport for their outbound flights.
According to the Belgian embassy in Pretoria, around 310 stranded visitors and tourists were part of the group that was sent home last week, which included some 50 citizens from other EU countries through Johannesburg and Cape Town.
* For the latest on the Covid-19 outbreak, visit the IOL #Coronavirus trend page.
** If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, call the 24-hour hotline at 0800 029 999
Cape Argus
[ad_2]
