Similarly, South Korea said it will offer some exemptions to mandatory quarantine measures for people who have been fully inoculated against Covid-19.<\/p>\n
However, this will not apply<\/a><\/strong> to residents arriving from nations such as South Africa and Brazil where coronavirus variants are prevalent and to people who are vaccinated in foreign countries.<\/p>\n A key reason behind the restrictions is concern around ‘mutations’ and a stigma attached to the Covid-19 502Y.V2 variant, which was first discovered in South Africa.<\/p>\n A large number of countries have indicated that travellers from South Africa will still be barred from entering \u2013 a sign that the country could be facing reputational damage because of the variant.<\/p>\n Research from Oxford Economics for April shows that of the three \u2018major\u2019 Covid variants to be spreading: the 502Y.V2 variant \u2013 referred to as the \u2018South African variant\u2019 \u2013 is the second most prominent, with the UK variants being far more widespread.<\/p>\n Despite this, the UK has fewer travel restrictions imposed on it than South Africa.<\/p>\n A\u00a0mapping tool<\/a><\/strong> developed by travel website Skyscanner shows that as of 26 April, South Africa has 117 \u2018major restrictions\u2019 from other countries in place.<\/p>\n These countries have suspended travel, may be closed to entry, or entry may only be possible if you are a citizen\/meet strict entrance requirements.<\/p>\n By comparison, there are currently 101 moderate restrictions in place on South Africa, where travel is possible, but only if travellers meet certain entry requirements which can include taking Covid-19 tests.<\/p>\n Just seven countries have \u2018low-risk restrictions\u2019 meaning that travellers likely won\u2019t have to face enforced quarantine periods.<\/p>\n Opening up\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage in many corners of the world, places that have successfully vaccinated a substantial share of the population are plotting the next step: how to let people start travelling again, Bloomberg<\/a> <\/strong>reports.<\/p>\n By early summer (winter for the Southern Hemisphere), countries of the European Union and beyond aim to issue vaccine passports that would let those who have been inoculated freely cross borders.<\/p>\n Some places – Australia and New Zealand, for instance, and Singapore and Hong Kong – are joining together to create \u201ctravel bubbles\u201d that allow citizens to visit without mandatory quarantines.<\/p>\n And governments are drawing up lists of vaccines and tests they deem sufficiently effective to permit entry.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0optimism that we’re getting a little closer to seeing some form of travel this summer, especially in the trans-Atlantic market,\u201d said John Strickland, owner of aviation advisory firm JLS Consulting in London.<\/p>\n \u201cAirlines have done a lot of the spadework on digital travel passports and testing, and there’s a huge impetus on governments to get some travel going.\u201d<\/p>\n However, any opening could be slowed by the implementation of rules by some countries that allow only people with certain vaccines\u00a0to enter.<\/p>\n The EU says it will guarantee access solely to those with vaccines approved by the bloc\u2019s medical authority – though it has encouraged individual countries to accept any shot approved by the World Health Organisation, according to a draft of rules seen by Bloomberg.<\/p>\n And China will only admit people who have been inoculated with shots from its pharmaceutical companies \u2014 which haven\u2019t been approved in Europe, the US, and many other places.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Travel-map.jpg\")
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