South Africa will reopen its borders from October 1, but with restrictions
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the country will reopen its borders from October 1, but with restrictions.
He also announced that the country will move to alert Level 1 of the lockdown from midnight on Sunday, September 20, 2020.
In his keynote address, Ramaphosa said that SA’s borders will reopen next month.
“One of the earliest measures we took to contain the spread of the virus was to severely restrict international arrivals and to close our borders,” he said.
“We will be allowing travel into and out of South Africa for business, leisure and other travel with effect from October 1, 2020.
“The easing of restrictions on international travel under Level 1 must be done with extreme caution, especially as some countries experience a new surge in infections,” said Ramaphosa.
The president revealed that travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that are deemed high risk.
He said only three airports will be opened for international travel – King Shaka International, OR Tambo International and Cape Town International.
A limited number of border posts will remain open at South Africa’s land borders.
International travel
Ramaphosa said careful screening of international travellers at airports and border crossings is essential to prevent infected visitors from entering the country and contributing to the spread of the virus.
On arrival, travellers will need to present a negative Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours from the time of departure. All travellers will be screened on arrival.
Those presenting with symptoms will be required to have a Covid test. Where necessary, travellers will need to enter mandatory quarantine facilities at their own cost. Travellers will need to download the Covid Alert South Africa mobile app.
“We are ready to open our doors again to the world and invite travellers to our mountains, our beaches, our vibrant cities and our wildlife game parks in safety and confidence.
’’In preparation for the re-opening of our borders, South African missions abroad will open for visa applications and all long-term visas will be reinstated,” Ramaphosa said.
