South Africa says tourists from high-risk countries still barred from Oct. 1

South Africa will not allow tourists from countries with higher coronavirus infection and death rates, including Britain, the United States and France, to enter when its borders open up on Oct. 1, ministers said on Wednesday. But business travellers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats and investors from countries considered “high-risk”, which also include the Netherlands, Russia and India, can enter, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said. “We will review the data every two weeks,” Pandor told a news conference, saying the government would be guided by epidemiological data when deciding which countries were deemed high-risk. President Cyril Ramaphosa this month loosened pandemic restrictions in South Africa, which had one of the world’s strictest lockdowns at the height of its COVID-19 outbreak. The easing included opening up to air travel, bringing relief to the badly battered tourism industry. “Airlines from high-risk countries are not necessarily banned, but their crew will be required to isolate ... at the cost of their employer,” Pandor said.<br/>