WASHINGTON - THE White House has confirmed that President Joe Biden has signed an order on Monday imposing a ban on most non-US citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa starting Saturday.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki also confirmed Biden will re-impose an entry ban on nearly all non-US travellers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders that was set to expire Tuesday.
“With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn’t the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” Psaki said at a news briefing.
On Monday, the SA Health Ministry announced that the country’s Covid-19 cases had increased by 4 551 to 1 417 537. SA's Covid-19-death toll now stands at 41 117 while the recovery rate has increased to 87.6%.
Meanwhile, a new study from the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Social Change shows that two out of three adults would be willing to take the Covid-19 vaccine if it became available.
UJ, in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division, made the findings on Monday after undertaking an online study among just over 10 000 participants, between December 29 and January 6.
The findings of this new study will put pressure on the government to act fast on securing vaccines for the greater populace before new variants and mutations of the virus become a factor.
IOL