Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIANS travelling to Ireland will now not be compelled to self-isolate in hotels after North Atlantic Island removed Tanzania from mandatory hotel quarantine list.
The East African nation joins Rwanda, Kenya and Burundi among countries delisted for the public health practice, which has been common during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Irish Minister for Stephen Donnelly announced on Friday that Tanzania was among 33 countries that had been expunged from the mandatory quarantine list.
The Irish government also announced that it had revised travel policies in keeping with the European Union (EU) Digital Covid-19 Certificate.
“People who travel to Ireland, having been in or transited through a designated State within 14 days of arrival, continue to be required to quarantine at Mandatory Hotel Quarantine, unless exempt, ”said the Irish Minister.
Early this month, Irish Ambassador to Tanzania Mary O’Neil hailed Tanzania for joining the COVAX Facility, the global pooled procurement mechanism for Covid-19 vaccines to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all participating countries.
The envoy who was presenting her credentials to the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat insisted that Ireland’s policy on vaccination against Covid-19 was that no one in the world was safe until everyone is safe.
Tanzania joined the global initiative, making it one of the last countries on the African continent to sign up for free vaccines.
A committee of experts tasked by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in early April to evaluate the nation’s Covid-19 response recommended that the country joins the facility.
The task force further advised that the government should consider a mass vaccination programme against the pandemic.
It stressed, however, that it should be optional to have the jab.
Meanwhile, Zanzibar has placed more orders for Covid -19 jabs as vaccination of health workers kicks off on the Isles.
According to Health, Social Welfare, Gender, the Elderly and Children Permanent Secretary in Zanzibar, Dr Omar Dadi Shajak, however insisted that the vaccines remain optional for citizens.
He said after the vaccination of the health workers, the others to receive the vaccine would be those in the sectors such as tourism, airports and ports.
According to Dr Shajak, the vaccine administered to the health workers is funded by the Zanzibar government.
