CoronavirusSA: What you need to know about Aviation and Maritime activities

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This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act.

As a result, certain travel restrictions have been put into place.

The Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula says aviation is one of the high-risk sectors which can spread the Coronavirus.

The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has since procured and distributed masks for all front line staff at all ACSA Airports.

The following are mandatory measures for the airlines and all handling agents:

• All airline and/or ground handling staff carrying out assisted passenger services (passengers with reduced mobility) are required to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (surgical mask and gloves) when facilitating arriving international passengers.
• Passenger-facing personnel, particularly for all international arrivals, transfers terminal and the domestic recheck, are required to use PPE (surgical masks and gloves).
• All handling agent staff that are at a high risk of contact (including, but not limited to passenger escorting, VIP services facilitation, ticket sales, baggage handling and loading, aircraft grooming, catering services, cargo handling agents, bus drivers and crew transport drivers) are required to wear PPE (surgical masks and gloves).
• All passenger buses will require additional cleaning/sanitization measures to be implemented and ACSA will increase oversight in this aspect.

Travel ban

The President announced that we are imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China as from 18 March 2020.

What does this mean?

No foreign nationals will be allowed from these countries through our ports of entry, which include airports, seaports and railways.
Charter Operators will be re-routed to international airports that have the Ports Health capability to manage a suspected case.

The following international airports have the necessary capacity and will be ready to handle charter flights:

OR Tambo
Lanseria
King Shaka
Upington
Polokwane
Bram Fisher
Kruger Mpumalanga International
Pilanesburg
Port Elizabeth
Cape Town
The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidelines for infection control for all airlines in respect of passenger, cargo and baggage handling. 

What if I make use of public transport?

The Taxi industry transports more than 16 million people and represents a critical sector which must be at the forefront of robust interventions and awareness to manage the risks.

Minister Mbalula says they will implement an aggressive information drive to create awareness and promote preventative measures. Taxi and bus operators must become ambassadors whose task is to disseminate information.

He says random testing measures be implemented in the public transport environment, with particular emphasis on commuter rail.

What does this mean for SA's Maritime activities and Truck drivers travelling across borders?

SAMSA will immediately operationalize a plan for all ships calling at port, guided by the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) and WHO (World Health Organisation) and will at all times be guided by directives issued by the Department of Health.

The Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) will work with Border and Health authorities to ensure screening of truck drivers at all inland borders that continue to allow cross-border traffic as announced by the President.

The Department of Home Affairs will assist Cross-Border operators (Commercial operators which are freight, buses, tour and taxi operators), with the information required and to inform them about measures that are in place at the land border posts regarding their travel.

C-BRTA is reviewing permit issuance with a view to discourage all non-essential cross border movement and will be in discussion with the Department of Transport, Provinces and SADC member states.

The necessary regulations was implemented on Friday 20 March 2020.