JOHANNESBURG, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The South African National Parks (SANParks) on Wednesday closed all its tourism facilities to the public in support of the nation-wide lockdown for 21 days to combat the spread of the COVID-19, said SanParks CEO Fundisile Mketeni.
SANParks said they had to do this as the country faces "unprecedented and unpredictable situation".
"We would like to assure our staff and visitors that their health and wellbeing is of critical importance. We therefore request that all overnight guests vacate the parks today...Day visitors will also not be permitted to enter the parks from today," said Mketeni.
He said guests from high-risk countries currently resident in the parks who arrived in the country after March 9 should not leave but be confined to their hotels.
"All such guests have been identified and staff on the ground will provide them with support and further information regarding their travel arrangements as well as facilitate contact with their embassies," he said.
This comes after the department of tourism instructed all tourists resorts to shut down during lockdown.
The tourism department said all international travellers who arrived in South Africa after March 9 from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels until they have completed a 14-day period of quarantine.
