It may arrive a few days later than initially predicted, but alert level 1 is within touching distance.

In fact, according to insiders who attended meetings of the Presidential Coordinating Council yesterday, we’re in for a President Ramaphosa special address this evening, where he will announce that we are moving to alert level 1, and opening up for international travel.

There is no guarantee that alert level 1 will be implemented immediately.

TimesLIVE reports that it won’t be open season at the borders just yet, with certain high-risk countries remaining banned, and any international arrivals needing to produce a negative test taken at least 72 hours before travel.

Ticking that box would alleviate the need for quarantine upon arrival.

If a traveller has displayed symptoms related to COVID-19, they can be forced to quarantine at their own expense, even with a negative test in hand.

The Presidential Coordinating Council is meeting again today, following which TimesLIVE reports that Ramaphosa will address the nation:

A member of the National Coronavirus Command Council said the decision to move the country to Level 1 and allow international travel, was supported by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who cited declining daily infection rates and the availability of beds at trauma units and quarantine facilities as evidence that South Africa was ready to open up…

An NCC insider said while borders and other points of entry would reopen, government had decided that travellers from high risk countries not be permitted to enter South Africa. These include the US, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy – which are key markets for the revival of the tourism sector.

But arrivals from India and Brazil, each with 4.3-million and 5-million infections respectively, will be allowed. “India and Brazil do not present high numbers for us.”

An unnamed senior government official is also quoted as saying that the country is now equipped to deal with a second surge, with “equipment such as ventilators…in abundance and quarantine sites are laying empty at the moment”.

In the same vein, Prof Salim Abdool Karim, the chairperson of the COVID-19 ministerial advisory committee, has stressed repeatedly that we shouldn’t let our guards down.

[source:timeslive]