The dream of a South African summer fairy tale is over.
In South Africa, the tourism industry had just prepared for the main travel season.
Travel agencies, hotels and airlines had hoped to at least partially make up for the enormous losses.
Tourists from Europe also hoped for a relaxing holiday with low infection rates.
Every day, vacation planes were filled with every last seat.
But now the virus variant B.1.1.529 has thwarted everyone's plans almost overnight.
Great Britain and Israel imposed travel bans faster than ever before, and the German government followed suit within hours.
Marvel at the force of the reactions
South Africa is back on the list of variant countries, which it was on until July because of the beta variant identified there.
All returnees have to be in quarantine for 14 days, including those who have been vaccinated.
In fact, it is an entry ban.
For the country's economy, this may be a harder blow than the feared lockdown rules in their own country.
Not only does tourism come to a standstill, investors, business people and specialists will also shy away from a trip.
Added to this is the uncertainty of how long the isolation will last.
"Once on the list, always on the list", many had groaned when South Africa was still classified as a virus variant country, although the beta variant had hardly played a role.
The South African government has to strike a balance.
A hard lockdown is the last thing the economy is missing after the previous pandemic, regular power cuts and a politically fueled wave of looting in July.
The fear of new unrest is smoldering.
A compulsory vaccination, as is now being demanded by industry, will also be difficult to introduce.
The resistance in the ruling party and in the population is too great.
Only a little more than a third of adults have been vaccinated so far.
With a seven-day incidence of currently 42 and summer temperatures, some people are particularly surprised at the force of the reactions from developed countries.