Covid-19: South Africa, Nigeria end PCR test for vaccinated travelers
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South Africa and Nigeria have announced their decision to relax Covid-19 PCR test for vaccinated travellers.
On Monday the Nigerian government announced that fully vaccinated travellers coming into the country will no longer be required to take a pre-departure PCR Covid-19 test.
The chairman of the Presidential Covid Response Team, Boss Mustapha, said this change would come into effect from 4 April.
With this new policy, passengers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated are still expected to take a Covid test 48 hours before departure, or do one on the second and seventh day on arrival.
On Tuesday South Africa also relaxed some of its Covid-19 restrictions, doing away with the mandatory negative results for inbound fully-vaccinated travellers.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement as part of efforts to scale down restrictions imposed on the country amid the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
The latest move is seen as an attempt to boost tourists’ numbers as new infection rates begin to slow and deaths now fewer.
“Travellers entering South Africa will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours,” said Ramaphosa in his speech.
Meanwhile vaccinated individuals or those that have a negative test result are to be now allowed back into sporting stadiums and music and theatre shows that will be permitted to operate at half capacity.
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Many African countries have started lifting their Covid-19 restrictions to further make life easier for citizens and return them to normalcy.
There have been Covid-19 restrictions such as mandatory wearing of masks, quarantining persons that test positive, lockdowns on communities considered hot spot among others.
Kenya for example has announced that it has lifted all restrictions imposed to curb the spread COVID-19.
Face masks are no longer mandatory in public and all quarantine measures for confirmed COVID-19 cases are halted with immediate effect.
The new regulation also affects ban on large indoor gatherings and a requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test for arriving air passengers.
Source: Africafeeds.com
