(Getty Images)
- Australia has ended its travel ban on South Africa and seven neighbouring countries.
- This comes just hours after the United Kingdom removed South Africa from its restrictive red list.
- Australia’s reopening only applies to Australian citizens, permanent residents, immediate family members, and eligible visa holders.
- South Africans with work or study obligations in Australia are most likely to be granted entry.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Australia has lifted its ban on travellers from South Africa and seven neighbouring countries following the United Kingdom’s decision to scrap its controversial red list.
The world is slowly reopening to South Africa following almost three weeks of intense travel bans imposed in the wake of Omicron’s discovery. The new coronavirus variant was first detected by scientists from South Africa’s Network for Genomic Surveillance at the end of November.
The UK, the first to react, returned South Africa to its red list which limited re-entry to British or Irish nationals, or travellers with residence rights. These travellers would then need to spend 10 days in a costly hotel quarantine.
But with Omicron becoming the dominant variant in London, the UK conceded that the travel ban on South Africa and its neighbouring countries had become redundant. South Africa, and 10 other countries, were removed from the red list on Wednesday morning.
And because the UK was the first to impose and now rescind its travel ban on South Africa, tourism groups are hoping that other countries which followed the UK’s lead will now do the same and swiftly remove restrictions.
Australia, which has restricted travel to and from South Africa throughout much of the pandemic, announced on Wednesday that it, too, had dropped its travel ban.
“In line with other countries including the United Kingdom, the border measures under the Biosecurity Act 2015 restricting travellers who have been in the 8 Southern African countries [including South Africa] from entering Australia has now ceased,” noted a public statement by Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly.
“Given the global spread of Omicron, international border bans are no longer a proportionate or effective means to contain the spread of Omicron.”
And while the reopening of travel between South Africa and Australia, which houses a large cohort of expatriates, will be welcomed as progressive sign of easing global restrictions, movement will not be simple.
Currently, there are no direct passenger flights between Australia and South Africa. Qantas Airways is looking to reopen the route between Johannesburg and Sydney in January.
Travel to Australia is also only open to certain visa holders, which in the South African context, mainly applies to students and skilled workers. An Australian visitor visa is not accepted under the current rules.
“All arrivals to Australia require a negative Covid-19 PCR test [nose and throat] within three days of travel and by law must complete Australian traveller declaration forms declaring their vaccination status and confirming that they are aware of state and territory public health requirements,” noted Kelly.
Importantly, quarantine requirements differ according to the territory in Australia and even fully vaccinated travellers may be required to isolate.
A fully vaccinated traveller arriving in New South Wales, for example, is required to self-isolate at home or in their accommodation for 72 hours after arriving while awaiting a negative test result. Vaccinated travellers arriving in South Australia need to quarantine for a week.
(Compiled by Luke Daniel)