SA tourism association slams govt ‘dithering’ over negative PCR test requirements for travellers

The Southern African Tourism Services Association (Satsa) has slammed government’s Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

Satsa has branded government’s continued negative PCR test requirements as “irrational, incomprehensible and prejudicial to rebuilding South Africa’s tourism sector.”

As per current regulations, vaccinated travellers must be able provide a negative PCR test in order to enter the country.

However, it is acknowledged that people who recently recovered from Covid-19 would continue to produce positive PCR test results for weeks afterwards.

In this case, travellers have to apply for exemption.

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Change on the cards – but when?

Last week, health minister Joe Phaahla said Covid-19 regulations were being revisited, notably doing away with the state of disaster, with findings due to have been presented to the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) this week.

Phaahla alluded to travel amendments also being made, but Satsa pointed out a definitive date was not provided, frustrating the ailing industry.

In February 2021, Statistics SA reported a total income decrease of 72.7% for the tourist accommodation industry. Income from accommodation decreased by 74.5% year-on-year.

Satsa quoted University of Cape Town Groote Schuur hospital head of infectious diseases and HIV medicine Professor Marc Mendelson’s reasoning that there was “no scientific reason for the PCR test requirement for inbound travellers”.

“Unless we test every citizen and visitor every three to five days, the PCR test requirement for travel is meaningless. We do not have a travel-related surveillance programme and we don’t act on it, even if we did,” explained Mendelson.

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PCR test requirements ‘unconscionable’

Satsa CEO David Frost said promises of a review of PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers had been made months ago, with no significant updates to accommodate the tourism sector.

“Considering there is no scientific base for this requirement in the first place, we find it unconscionable that government’s intransigence over this decision has widespread implications for the survival of tourism businesses and consequently the preservation and growth of jobs,” Frost said.

PCR test requirements only made travel more costly and inconvenient, and created perceptions of uncertainty around possible postponements and cancellations should one member of a travel group test positive, Satsa said.

The association argued government had already taken a practical approach to internal Covid-19 restrictions, doing away with quarantine requirements for Covid-19 contact cases, ceasing contact tracing, and reducing isolation periods.

Frost says this approach must be extended to the tourism sector regarding PCR tests.

“Our government was righteously indignant with the knee-jerk reaction of governments to Omicron, placing South Africa on red lists overnight without basing the decision on science.

“Yet, when presented with the same compelling evidence, South Africa moves at a glacial pace to lift a requirement that other countries have recognised is completely redundant.”

Frost also said the delay in PCR test requirement amendments reeked of “double standards”.

“When our neighbours, such as Botswana, which understand their reliance on tourism as an economic sector, remove tests for vaccinated travellers, and we still require tests, they gain a competitive advantage over us as a destination.”

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Compiled by Nica Richards.