‘Virus’ tourists sent packing
CORONA: FROM MADAGASCAR, BUT QUARANTINED AFTER SHOWING SIGNS OF CONTAMINATION
Agroup of Chinese tourists were quarantined and tested before being sent back home, after some of them showed signs of potential contaminaton with the coronavirus.
The Chinese government has commended South Africa for the swift action, after authorities moved quickly to control the group from Madagascar, enroute to South Africa.
The tourists were quarantined and tested before they were sent back home, the portfolio committee on health and tourism heard during their joint session yesterday.
Tourism portfolio committee chair Supra Mahumapelo confirmed a group en-route to SA from Madagascar were turned back due to some having a fever.
“At the ports of entry at OR Tambo and Cape Town, medical personnel from the communicable disease unit were inspecting and quarantining people who were suspected of carrying the virus. This was due to SA having a comprehensive strategy to deal with the virus, by ensuring that 11 hospitals were identified to deal with such cases across the country,” Mahumapelo said.
“The committee wants to commend China’s handling of the virus which was detected in December last year. ”
Mahumapelo gave no details as to how many people were involved and which part of China they came from, except to say this was “due to the collegial relationship between SA and the People’s Republic of China’s tourism authorities”.
The committee later told The Citizen all the tourists were sent back to China. The Chinese Consul-General in SA, Lin Jing, commended SA’s effort to keep the virus out of the country. He briefed a joint session of the health and tourism portfolio committees in parliament yesterday, about China’s experiences with the coronavirus and its implications to the tourism sector. The committee was also briefed by the National Registrar of Tourist Guides on the compliance with relevant legislation.
The committee heard that to date, there have been 2 666 deaths in China as a result of the virus with a total of 77 780 confirmed cases; 27 377 people were cured and discharged from hospitals, and a further 2 824 suspected cases are yet to be confirmed.
Mahumapelo said the Chinese market had become one of the significant markets for South Africa. The country received approximately 100 000 Chinese tourists per annum, who usually travel as groups and spend significant time in the country, contributing to SA’s tourism income and GDP (gross domestic product).
“With the increased number of tourists from China, the committee has urged SA Tourism to develop a dedicated strategy to harness the tourists from China. The department of tourism is training local tourist guides in Mandarin to effectively cater for the Chinese tourists,” Mahumapelo said.
SA receives 100 000 Chinese tourists per annum
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