South Africa will open its borders to all international travelers, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday, even if the number of new coronavirus cases increases in some parts of the country. Some officials fear a rollback of travel restrictions could trigger a second wave.
“We are also opening international trips to all countries, subject to the necessary health protocols and the submission of a negative Covid-19 certificate,” Ramaphosa said during an address to the country. He didn’t say when the new rules would replace an up-to-date, long no-fly list that bans tourists from dozens of European countries and the United States.
The announcement came before the start of the tourist peak season, when the colder weather in the northern hemisphere draws up to 10 million foreigners to the country’s pristine beaches and wilderness safaris.
According to a database from the New York Times, South Africa has recorded more than 740,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 20,000 deaths since the spring. The number of cases has fallen from 12,000 new infections per day in July to less than 2,000 per day in the past three months.
Still, localized spikes have troubled officials for several weeks in some cases, including in Eastern Cape Province and Cape Town, a major tourist destination.
The government also declared five days of mourning for the victims of the pandemic as well as women and children who are victims of violence. South Africa has one of the world’s highest levels of violence against women, which Mr Ramaphosa described as a “second pandemic”.
He said the national flag would fly on half employees and urged all citizens to wear black armbands on November 25.
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Athletes traveling to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics next summer will not be subject to the 14-day quarantine requirement, organizers said Thursday, although they must test negative before and in some cases after they arrive. No rules have yet been set for viewers of the games, which have been postponed for a year due to the pandemic.
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All kindergartens and daycare centers in Hong Kong will be closed for two weeks as a precaution, health officials said Thursday, citing a group of more than 100 upper respiratory tract infections. To date, no students or teachers have tested positive for the coronavirus, but some have symptoms associated with it. Daycare centers and kindergartens reopened in late September after having been operating remotely for most of the year.
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