FLIGHT CENTRE UPDATE: MAURITIUS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CLOSE THEIR BORDERS

JOHANNESBURG, 19 MARCH 2020 – Flight Centre would like to advise their customers that Mauritius, Australia and New Zealand have become the latest countries to close their borders to foreign visitors.

Effective 19 March 2020, Mauritius will close its borders to all foreign nationals. Three people in the country have tested positive for COVID-19. All passengers, including transits, will not be permitted to enter the country for a period of 14 days.

Effective 19 March 2020, Australia will close its borders to all foreign nationals.

Effective midnight 19 March 2020, New Zealand will close its borders to foreign nationals.

Kenya, Canada and a host of other countries have also closed their borders to foreign visitors.

The South African Government has extended its Travel Ban for high-risk countries to include Switzerland and France. Currently, destinations identified as being high-risk in terms of COVID-19 are Iran, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, South Korea, China, Germany, US and the UK. Medium-risk destinations highlighted are Singapore, Hong Kong and Portugal. Returning South Africans from all these countries will be required to self-isolate for 14 days and only get tested should they show any symptoms of COVID-19.

South Africans are advised to postpone all non-essential foreign travel. All non-essential domestic travel is discouraged.

The situation is evolving so rapidly that Flight Centre urges all customers to contact their travel expert with up to date information regarding any confirmed travel bookings.

Flight Centre reiterates its commitment to assisting and re-accommodating affected travellers. Travel experts are contacting all customers with bookings to affected regions to assist with rebooking and rescheduling their travel.