14 high-risk aircraft grounded at OR Tambo airport

Foreign nationals from high risk countries were not been allowed to disembark these flights and arrangements were being made to return them to their home countries.

This comes after a travel ban was issued by the South African government in a bid to curb the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

ORTIA spokesperson, Betty Maloka says the aircraft have been diverted to an isolated apron stand.

"It's difficult at this point to say how many foreign nationals because they are arriving every hour, every minute, so what we are doing we are just only implementing as per the regulation where foreign nationals from those countries are suspended from being in South Africa," says Maloka.

"The aircraft and the passengers from the foreign countries are in the actual aircraft that have been grounded. It will then be returning to the country of origin once all the processes are in place."

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Maloka adds that the Department of Transport is in talks with foreign governments on a way forward.

"That communication will probably get through to those respective countries and that will minimise the travel into South Africa."

South African citizens from the same flights were allowed to disembark and were taken in for screening.

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster on Sunday and announced sweeping measures that include a travel ban on high-risk countries.

Countries which are deemed as high risk include South Korea, Italy, Spain, China, and the United Sates.