Travel News has heard that there is now a travel ban on South Africans heading to Mauritius, with immediate effect and it is expected to last for the next two weeks. An agent reported her clients had been offloaded from the MRU-bound flight at ORTIA today (Friday November 26). No official word from the Mauritian Government has yet been forthcoming.
Beachcomber has sent out an update to the trade, saying the company is aware of the travel ban that was put in place by Mauritius this afternoon and the Beachcomber staff are working as quickly as possible to update all affected bookings. The company promises to contact all affected clients, in order of urgency, and will have additional staff in the office on Saturday November 27 to assist agents and their clients.
Elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles has announced that from Saturday November 27, until further notice, visitors from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe will not be permitted to enter Seychelles.
Under the new measures, Seychellois and residents who have been to any of these countries in the last two weeks will go into self-quarantine upon their return to Seychelles and take a compulsory PCR test five days after their arrival.
"All persons already in Seychelles who have been to these countries in the last two weeks are required to go do a PCR test from five to 14 days after arrival. Those who have been in Seychelles for less than five days should wait for day five to do a PCR test," said the Ministry.
Visitors from South Africa were only allowed to enter Seychelles from September 13 after the Ministry of Health removed the country from its restricted list.
The Ministry of Health is strongly discouraging Seychellois to travel to the seven restricted countries.