Coronavirus: Urgent information required

  • March 23rd, 2020

This morning, Sunday 22nd March, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa issued the following memorandum to the tourism industry:

The Chairman and I received a call from the Minister of Tourism this morning to advice us on the following:

  1. All hotels that have tourist from high-risk countries should urgently compile a list of those tourists including the following.
  2. Personal details
  3. Entry date into South Africa (please look at Home Affairs entry stamp) 
  4. Places visited by tourists
  1. No tourist from high-risk countries should be allowed to check-in or out of any accommodation establishments across the country. We need to assist them with contacting their embassies as well COVID-19 hotline: 0800 029 999
  2. The health officials will go to all establishments to test for COVID-19
  3. All embassies will be notified

We have tourist from some tour groups that have tested positive, and this is putting staff in accommodation establishments and attractions at high risk.

We appeal for your full cooperation on this urgent matter.

Please send all requested information to tshifhiwa@tbcsa.travel

SATSA’s David Frost later released the following clarifying statement:

In the absence of clarity of location of dedicated quarantine / self isolation facilities for tourists outside the Western Cape, SATSA is asking members to sequester travellers from high-risk destinations temporarily until they are advised in other parts of the country about what national protocol should be for high-risk travellers.

The required details listed above can be submitted via the survey link below: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COVID-Tourist-Log

The high risk countries are currently China, Iran, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, UK and USA.
PLEASE SUBMIT INFORMATION BEFORE
10:00 ON MONDAY 23 MARCH