This after reports emerged at the weekend that the UK is expected to slash the list from 54 countries to nine.
AS SOUTH Africa awaits the imminent announcement of the UK’s revised international travel “red list”, local authorities say the country’s expected removal from the list would be a welcomed, albeit long-awaited, decision.
This after reports emerged at the weekend that the UK is expected to slash the list from 54 countries to nine.
The UK is set to open up more countries for hotel quarantine-free travel later this week, the Sunday Telegraph reported, with fully-vaccinated arrivals from countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa no longer having to quarantine in a government-designated hotel for 10 days when they get to England from later this month.
The UK’s hotel quarantine policy for higher risk countries reportedly costs £2 285 (R46 000) an adult, deterring global travel.
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s spokesperson Mpumzi Zuzile said this will be a welcomed decision, which Sisulu will comment on once the UK government officially releases the list of countries removed from its red list, expected to be actioned with immediate effect.
“Our tourism sector is ready,” Zuzile said.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela said they also awaited the UK’s official announcement.
“We do know that following a meeting of SA and UK scientists last week, the UK said ‘data and expertise’ provided by South African scientists will feed into the next review of its border measures (red list), within the next fortnight. So these reports are in line with our expectations.”
South African Medical Association (SAMA) chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee said there was no reason South Africans should be discriminated against as the country used the same vaccines as the UK.
“The Delta variant is in both countries and we know that our vaccines are very effective against the Delta variant. The vaccines were exactly the same whether it is in South Africa or whether it is in England, there is a no difference, vaccines are vaccines,” said Coetzee.
