Pandor welcomes UK's 'sensible' decision to remove SA from 'red list'

Pandor welcomes UK's 'sensible' decision to remove SA from 'red list'

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has welcomed the UK's decision to remove South Africa from the country's travel 'red list'.

Naledi Pandor
Image Courtesy: GCIS

This follows an announcement by the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday that SA is among 47 other destinations to be removed from the controversial list that compels strict Covid-19 testing and quarantine rules.


The decision takes effect on Monday.


Earlier this month, the UK announced that travellers from Africa and other selected countries will all be considered unvaccinated and will have to test and quarantine for 10 days despite being vaccinated in their home countries.


But after high-level deliberations between officials, the UK gave tourists the thumbs up for eased protocols.


Dirco Minister Naledi Pandor described the moved as sensible.


"We were puzzled that South Africa was on the red list of the United Kingdom despite declining infection levels in South Africa and levels that were far lower than that of the United Kingdom."


UK scientists believed South Africa was not transparent about its Covid-19 statistics.


"The government decided this week, sensibly, that they would remove South Africa from that red list from the 11th of October.


"We are pleased at that because both country's tourist sector depends on travel between the UK and South Africa," Pandor said on Friday.


Pandor added the South Africa's vaccination drive and move to level 1 placed the country on good footing to welcome thousands of tourists onto its shores again.


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