Cabinet ministers involved in the government’s response plan to deal with the coronavirus epidemic will on Monday brief the media.

In a swift move to contain the spread of the virus, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the implementation of strict travel bans on foreigners from high-risk countries, including Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the US, the UK and China, effective from Wednesday.SA schools will also be closed from Wednesday.

The government has also prohibited public gatherings of more than 100 people and postponed Human Rights Day commemorations.

“We have now declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. This will enable us to have an integrated and co-ordinated disaster management mechanism that will focus on preventing and reducing the outbreak of this virus. We will also be able to set up emergency rapid and effective response systems to mitigate the severity of its impact,” Ramaphosa said after a cabinet meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Sunday.