POLL | Visitors from 'low-risk' China are allowed into SA — what are your thoughts?

The government announced on Wednesday that visitors from low- and medium-risk countries, including China, would be allowed to travel to SA from Thursday.

International relations minister Naledi Pandor announced level 1 regulations relating to international travel during a media briefing. She said countries were categorised as high-, medium- and low-risk.

She said high-risk countries are those with higher Covid-19 infections and death tolls than SA, while medium-risk countries are those with similar rates of infections and deaths as SA. Low-risk countries have lower infections and deaths in comparison to SA.

Travellers from China and African countries are considered safe to travel to SA, provided they are screened for Covid-19 and have the correct travel documents.

Long-term visa holders who visit the country for business purposes, diplomats, repatriated people, investors, and people participating in professional sporting and cultural events from high-risk countries will be allowed entry but must adhere to certain conditions.

They will be screened on arrival. If they test positive, they will be subjected to a 10-day quarantine at a designated site, which they will be required to pay for.

China has seen a decline in its Covid-19 infection rate since it became the initial epicentre for the virus, after its spread from the city of Wuhan in December 2019.

At midday on Thursday, there were 85,414 total Covid-19 cases in China and 4,634 deaths, according to Worldmetres.

TimesLIVE