The Department of Health is closely monitoring the spike of Covid-19 infections in China, spokesperson Foster Mohale said. An alert would be issued if South Africa needed to take extra precautions.
The spike in Covid infections in China follows the country’s decision to drop stringent “zero-Covid’ measures on 7 December.
A host of nations, including Canada, Australia, the US, France and Japan, have reinstated Covid travel requirements with those arriving from China needing to present a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival.
‘There is no immediate plan to impose travel restrictions or special requirements on travellers from China and other parts of the world,’ Mohale said. ‘However, we are monitoring the surge of cases in China.’
In a series of tweets, Tulio De Oliveira, who assisted in leading the team who discovered the Omicron variant, stated that a travel ban would prove ‘ineffective as shown with the restrictions to SA during Omicron’.
A small thread on:
1) Why we are alerted but not too concerned of the global effects of the massive wave of COVID-19 in China,
2) Why the proposed restrictions from Italy & USA are not likely to be effective.
3) Some simple global interventions for 2023.— Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) December 30, 2022
‘In summary, we should be alerted of the situation in China & should support them to control,’ De Oliveira concluded. ‘We should also do our homework so, in case, a new wave starts, it can be managed effectively. We are not in 2019, but the end of 2022 and we have the tools & knowledge to manage the pandemic.’
Picture: Unsplash
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