Phaahla: No need for new Covid travel restrictions
Health Minister Joe
Phaahla says no travels restrictions will be imposed on South Africa's incoming
and out-going travellers since the emergence of a new Covid19 subvariant.
"We have consulted our Ministerial Advisory Committee and also the World Health Organisation in Geneva and also in the regional office in Brazzaville."
"In both cases, the advice we have received is that there is no need to impose travel restrictions on any country including China and also no need to reimpose restrictions in our own country,” the minister told the media on Tuesday.
Phaahla gave an update on the Covid-19 situation in South Africa in a virtual briefing.
READ: Omicron remains only Covid variant of concern, says Phaahla
It comes after the first case of the highly transmissible XBB1.5 coronavirus subvariant, nicknamed Kraken, was detected in the country.
The minister said Omicron remains the dominant variant of concern throughout the world.
"This Omicron has more than 100 sub variants or sublineages since it dominated the Covid-19 environment late in 2021.”
