JOHANNESBURG - South Africa does not see the need for now to implement any new COVID-19 restrictions in the country or for travellers despite rising cases in other parts of the world, the country's health minister Joe Phaahla said on Tuesday.

However, the country will increase COVID testing and reinvigorate its vaccination campaign in light of rising global infections, he said at a media briefing.

Phaahla also said that adjustments would soon be made on rules for booster doses and timing between such doses.

Last week, South Africa detected its first case of the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant of COVID, but it is not expected to cause an increase in hospitalisations, South African infectious disease expert Michelle Groome said at the same briefing. 

(Reporting by Alexander Winning; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Estelle Shirbon)