Visitors to Zimbabwe during the festive season will still be subjected to an on-site COVID-19 test if they cannot produce a vaccination card with all three jabs, a government official has said.
Speaking to State media, the Chief Coordinator for the National Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Agnes Mahomva, said:
As Government, we continue to strengthen our responses, we are very aware that as we go into the festive season a lot of visitors and returning residents are coming for holidays and visiting, so quite clearly some of those measures mean that we have to strengthen how we are responding at our ports of entry.
That still remains the latest Statutory Instrument-vaccination at ports of entry.
The SI specifically states that one must be fully vaccinated, as well you do have to be tested if one is entering the country, it has not changed at all.
Port Health officers and teams are working flat out to strengthen the flow of clients as they come back into the country to ensure that people are not crowded in one place, are cleared fast enough and are supported and helped in whatever help they need. It is really important.
Mahomva implored people who are not yet vaccinated to get the jabs to avoid severe illness in the event that they contract the novel coronavirus. She said:
Everybody is aware, if you are fully vaccinated, your chances of getting severely ill and actually dying from COVID-19 are actually less so we are saying to everyone who is out there and has not been vaccinated, please go ahead and get vaccinated, it is for your protection, it is not about just adhering to Government rules but for your protection.
She said all the COVID-19 protocols remain the same throughout the country where people have to continue face masking, sanitising, and hand washing. Said Mahomva:
Wearing masks is still very much on. I know everybody is talking about other countries stopping and so on.
We have never been guided by what other countries do, we are guided by the science that we know protects our citizens and we encourage masking up during this festive season.
We know people gather to celebrate and this is where COVID-19 transmission is very high. So, people must protect themselves even on public transport.