Durbanite Candice Soobramoney craved a Brazillian holiday to Rio and Sao Paulo in March. She sat with her travel agent for weeks to make the necessary plans for the trip, even researching the best tours to join.
Her plans took a back seat when news of the coronavirus started to surface. Even though the virus had not affected Brazil, the 40-year-old did not want to take the risk. “Having saved for months for this trip, I did not want to jeopardise my health or tempt fate. As much as I would have liked to see the sights of Brazil, it did not seem worth it,” she said.
Soobramoney is one of many South Africans who fear travelling abroad after news broke of the coronavirus, which has since claimed the lives of over a thousand people. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency last month while the US and the UK have issued advisories to reconsider travel plans to China.