Health Alert: 21 Day Lockdown (Updated) – U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa (March 25, 2020)
Location: South Africa
Event: The South African Ministry of Health confirmed 709 cases of COVID-19 within its borders.
The government of South Africa has implemented measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 by announcing a 21-day lockdown beginning 23:59 on Thursday, March 26, 2020. This includes:
- All borders will be closed to human activity except for essential services such as food. This includes the closure of all airports, the Gautrain system, all land borders, and all ports. All international and domestic flights after 23:59 Thursday will be canceled.
- The public is allowed to make limited movements during these hours to buy groceries and essential items, visit a pharmacist, or visit a doctor.
- All restaurants, bars, and coffee shops will be closed, and alcohol will not be sold nor can it be transported from one location to another.
- Guesthouses, game reserves, resorts, and many hotels will be closed.
- The South African National Defence Force has been deployed to assist police in enforcing the lockdown.
Full regulations will be available on the South African Government Gazette.
Quarantine Information
- U.S. citizens arriving from any of the banned countries after March 9, 2020, are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Effective March 26, 2020, U.S. Consulates General Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban have suspended routine consular services. For emergency American Citizens Services, including emergency passports, please visit our websites for additional information.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Notice for South Africa.
Local Resources
- View U.S. Embassy Pretoria’s most recent alerts.
- Announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of 21 day lock-down (Mar 23, 2020)
- Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on measures to combat COVID-19 epidemic
- COVID-19 information page on National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)
- Department of Home Affairs page for latest information on travel requirements for South Africa
- COVID-19 Corona Virus: South African Resource Portal
Other links
- COVID-19 information page on travel.state.gov
- CDC page on COVID-19
- Travel.state.gov Country Information and Travel Advisory page
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.