Ramaphosa says NCCC to meet over India travel issue

SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI STAFF WRITER

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa says the National Coronavirus Command Council will meet soon to discuss whether to impose a travel ban on people coming from India.

This followed a second wave in that country that has cost thousands of lives.

Ramaphosa, who was responding to questions from MPS, said they were looking at the issue of the travel ban, but it must be informed by science.

This was after IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa had put the question to him.

Ramaphosa said the matter was being attended to.

“The variant that is experienced in India is most worrying because it is engulfing the entire country. We are watching that and we are not only watching this we are taking steps. The NCCC was meant to meet on Wednesday, but it is meeting when we have all the information,” said

Ramaphosa.

“We are concerned but we are concerned for the Indians and we are pledging our solidarity with them. We will be assisting them with ventilators and PPE. We are doing this because it is the right thing to do,” said Ramaphosa.

He added scientists in South Africa will continue to look at the variant in India.

But the decision on whether to ban flights from India will be taken in days.

Ramaphosa also told Parliament they want to increase the number of people who will get vaccines after manufacturing companies increased the supply of doses.

He said the halting of the Johnson & Johnson in the US, a few months ago had caused the delay in the delivery of the doses in the country.

However, after the health regular in South Africa lifted the suspension of the use of J&J jabs a few weeks ago.

Political Bureau