Richard Quest points out the bizarre alcohol and cigarette regulations and would like to know what has gone wrong with South Africa’s strategy while trying to find out when borders will open.
South Africa (25 July 2020) – Richard Quest – an English journalist and a CNN International Anchor – interviewed South African Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane about opening up travel in the country.
Apparently all borders will open in September!
“South Africa’s now reopening plan is very much facing a setback because of the latest numbers of coronavirus, which is getting considerably worse. An ominous surge in COVID cases… schools that reopened in June are now shutting again for at least a month. The country has now surpassed 400 000 cases, the fifth most in the world and for countries like France and Germany, they have got South Africa as high risk for travel, and requiring a compulsory COVID test when you return which might of course lead to 14 days in quarantine.”
Quest starts off the interview by asking what has gone wrong… and then ends it all quite abruptly.
“Minister, what’s gone wrong? South Africa seemed to have a very strong lockdown, it had perhaps somewhat odd rules about alcohol and smoking, but now the reopening the numbers are going up!”
The Minister stated that South Africa is looking ahead to September to bring visitors back, once the winter season winds down. The Minister says recovery efforts start with “domestic activities, then move to regional, and then into [the] international front.”
Watch the interview below:
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