Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR government has introduced ‘electronic covid-19 vaccination certificate’ for people who need the documents for travelling purposes.
Minister for Health, Social welfare, Elderly, Gender and Children Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui said that people who have received Covid jabs and need the certificate for travelling will be required to pay 20,000/- in order to be provided with electronic certificate.
Mr Mazrui told journalists that all citizens who have been vaccinated can apply for the internationally recognised digital vaccination certificate although it is not mandatory to have the certificate.
The Zanzibar e-Government Agency Managing Director (MD) Mr Said Seif Said informed reporters that security features in the electronic Covid-19 vaccination card enables it to remain safe as it is not possible to forge it or tamper with it.
Minister Mazrui reiterated his call on Zanzibaris to go for the vaccination beginning with special groups: elders (at 60+), medical staffs, employees at entry points (airports and seaports), employees in tourism industry, and journalists, urging the remaining population to wait for the expected vaccines consignment.
He said that more than ten thousand people have so far been vaccinated, insisting on observing precautionary measures to fight coronavirus which has already killed fifteen people between June and August this year in the Isles.
“Strictly avoid handshakes, unnecessary gatherings, observe social distancing, and handwashing along with mask wearing,” Mazrui said. Flanked by the Ministry’s Director General Dr Abdalla Suleiman Ali and other senior health officers, the Minister said: “So far we have vaccines SINOVAC from China and SPUTNIK Light-5 from Russia, for only 85,000 people, donated to Zanzibar. We need a dose of more than one-million.” The current vaccination centres are at Lumumba and Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.
Others vaccination centres to be opened soon are at Kivunge, Makunduchi, Abdalla-Mzee, Wete, ChakeChake, Micheweni, Tunguu, Fuoni and Kianga.
