https://www.businessinsider.co...cted-red-list-2020-9

South Africa will use its own level of coronavirus risk to determine what countries are considered high, medium, or low risk, international relations minister Naledi Pandor announced on Wednesday at a press conference on new travel measures.

Those with significantly higher levels of infection spread and deaths than South Africa will be rated as high risk – and leisure travellers from those countries will not be permitted entry into South Africa.


The only exceptions will be those with high-skills visas, diplomats, sports people, and investors.

“We’ve agreed that we will gradually open our borders and ports of entry of international travellers, primarily in the first instance for business and some leisure travellers," Pandor said – strongly stressing that it will be "some" leisure travellers – "and other aspects of travel such as investors coming into South Africa [and] sea crews that need to spend a short time, having docked in our ports. So we still are in a restricted domain, but we are gradually opening up."


The list of countries currently considered high risk, and from which ordinary tourists are not allowed includes:


Dominican Republic
Ecuador
France
Georgia
Gibraltar
Guatemala
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Jordan
Kosovo
Kuwait
Lebanon
Luxembourg
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Nepal
Oman
Palestine
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
San Marino
St Martin
Slovakia
Slovenia
Suriname
Switzerland
Trinidad and Tobago
Ukraine
United Kingdom
The United States of America
Virgin Islands
Venezuela
(No formal – or written – list was available at the time of publication.)

All countries on the African continent automatically fall outside the high-risk category, ministers said, so tourists will be allowed to travel to and from those countries regardless of their SARS-CoV-2 statistics.

"If the passport of the traveller from a high risk country indicates that he/she has spent 10 days or more in a low risk country before departure, he/she will be considered to be arriving from a low risk country," one government statement said.

The list will be reviewed every two weeks, Pandor said, based on seven days worth of data.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the reopening of South Africa's borders for leisure travellers in mid-September, and immediately cautioned that there may be restrictions for travel to and from some countries, "based on the latest scientific data we can get on those countries".

There had been no indication from the government in the intervening two weeks as to what metrics would be used

See also | Foreign travel guaranteed only to and from other African countries, cruise ships not welcome
All travellers, including those from elsewhere in Africa, will be required to present a negative test result for the coronavirus that is less than 72 hours old, or face quarantine.

Airlines will also be required to ensure that travellers to South Africa have travel insurance before boarding, Pandor said.

Several airlines expect to resume flights to South Africa, including from countries with high and rising rates of infection.

The government of South Africa has revised the list of countries from which it will not accept travelers. The latest list still includes the United States, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. The Ministers of Health, Home Affairs and Tourism have cut the list from an initial 60 countries to only 24, but the top three sources of tourism for South Africa are still banned entry.

The only exemptions from the blocked destinations are business travelers, holders of critical skills visas, investors and people on international missions in sports, arts, culture or science. These individuals can apply for visas by direct email request to Covid19BusinessTravel@dha.gov.za and must submit a copy of a passport or temporary residence visa; proof of business activities to be undertaken in South Africa; proof of travel itinerary and proof of address or accommodation in South Africa.

Foreign nationals from approved countries who also own properties in South Africa will be allowed to stay for a period of three months or more, subject to COVID-19 protocols.

The list of countries considered high risk includes:

Argentina
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Columbia
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Italy
Mexico
Netherlands
Philippines
Peru
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States