Experts say staggered reopening ‘is not logical’

With the announcement of regional travel soon to become a reality, experts say a gradual reopening “is not logical.”

Professor Alex van den Heever, chair in the field of social security systems administration and management studies at the Wits School of Governance, believes that all borders should be reopened as there are no additional risks posed by an industry that is doing well. organized and in strict health. and established hygiene and safety protocols and operates in low-density environments.

In his opinion, the risks lie in the spread of events, that is, large gatherings, where one person infects many. “In general, events of great diffusion in tourism do not take place as long as health protocols are maintained and, to the extent that there are failures, they are addressed. An entire industry is not closed due to some flaws. As an economic sector, if the evidence does not indicate that you are an important vector for the spread of the disease, you must be open, ”he explained.

Tourism specialist Gillian Saunders said there is no reason to differentiate between a foreign tourist or visitor from an African country compared to an overseas country. “Covid risk and mitigation measures are the same and the approach for people traveling to South Africa from an African country or from a foreign country should be identical. The new management situation of Covid with different behaviors and following protocols applies equally to nationals of any country, ”she said.

Van den Heever said that if the protocols don’t work, the industry should change them. “Where things are working, leaving them open is the initial approach followed by the government which involved closing by default and opening by exception, it has been our big strategic mistake to date.”