“If Cape Town is forced to go on lockdown like Italy, this place will be chaos,” says Jason Tang, a 55-year old South African who has lived in the city for 30 years. Tang was born in Taiwan and knows how quickly viruses can spread.
“In Taiwan everyone is wearing a mask and gloves. That's how you keep the virus from spreading. I'm surprised to see that only 1% of passengers here at the airport are wearing masks. People think this is just a regular flu but it isn't,” says Tang from behind his mask.
Cape Town International Airport is screening passengers before they leave the arrivals zone by measuring their temperature and checking which countries the passengers have visited in the past few weeks.
On March 12 2020 airport staff began installing signs, placards and banners cautioning passengers about the coronavirus and how to disinfect their hands. Bottles of hand sanitisers have also been placed along the international arrivals terminal in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, with at least 17 infections now confirmed in SA.
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