Bram Fischer Airport Manager, Esmaralda Barnes, says the Free State airport will remain closed until 1 July. She says on Friday one employee was tested for COVID-19 and the result came back positive.

Up until this closure, the airport had been operational throughout the lockdown period, which began on 26 March, for essential services and in case of an emergency pertaining to repatriation flights. She didn’t confirm if any other employees had to be tested for COVID-19 following the confirmed case. Meanwhile, Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has named Bram Fischer as one of the seven additional domestic airports that reopen for domestic travel on 1 July.

The others are Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Pietermaritzburg Airport, Port Elizabeth International Airport, Richards Bay Airport, Skukuza Airport and Upington International Airport.

The outbreak of the virus appears to be gaining traction in the Free State capital, with several primary schools and government buildings in addition to the airport being forced to suspend services and close down due to positive coronavirus cases. These include four primary schools - St Mary’s, Calculus, Legae and Bloemfontein Primary School - the Fidel Castro Building, and the Lengau Driving Licensing Testing Centre in the city. According to the National Health Department, the province has 914 active cases, the bulk of which are in Mangaung, as well as nine deaths.

Free State Health Department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, has declined to comment on the closures telling OFM News the employees of “those buildings don’t report to the Department of Health when they decide to close. It’s their management’s prerogative to do so”.

OFM News