Three SANParks visitors test positive for coronavirus

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs Barbara Creecy spoke to Jacaranda FM News on Tuesday where she explained the department's decision to close national parks on Wednesday.

READ: Mkhize: Shortage of coronavirus testing agents

The closure comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a 21-day national lockdown, which is set to start on Friday morning.

Creecy says the visitors originate from high-risk countries.

"Those who have tested positive have been placed in coronavirus treatment centres by the Department of Health.

"The people who are in quarantine are those who would have been in contact with them, so we have a group at Mangaliso and in St Lucia Bay who are  in quarantine at the moment.”

Parks were closed from Wednesday to allow visitors and staff to return home.

"We are having to close down our parks, we will have to release hospitality staff to go to their own places and their own homes.

"What we are trying to do is, we have asked those who are South African to start to vacate our parks today." 

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