Zimbabwe is welcoming international leisure travellers from certain countries, including South Africa.
All flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town into Harare and Victoria Falls are currently operating. Land borders remain closed for tourists until COVID-19 restrictions have been further relaxed.
Kanga camp in Mana Pools, situated well inland of the river. Image credit: African Bush Camps
All arriving travellers will be required to have a PCR COVID-19 Clearance Certificate issued by a recognized facility within 48 hours from the date of departure, in line with WHO guidelines, reports the country’s tourism website.
Those who test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival must quarantine at a government-appointed facility for 14 days or private quarantine centers. Travellers who have a negative PCR report will not be subject to the 10-day quarantine unless they are coming from ‘high risk’ countries. Persons departing the country must present a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours of departure.
Recently, Zimbabwe started to drive a ‘vax-cation’ campaign, urging visitors to get the COVID-19 vaccination while on holiday in the country.
Healthpoint Hospital in Harare, the first health care facility in Zimbabwe with authority to administer COVID vaccinations privately, had subsequently secured a substantial number of vaccine doses, overseen by a Ministry of Health official according to Travel News.
The “bulk of the stock available” in Zimbabwe comprised the Chinese-made Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, owner of Healthpoint Hospital, Peter Annesley said.
The hospital is offering vaccinations to foreigners for just USD100 (R1 375) for both doses of a two-dose vaccination.
Other travel-related restrictions to be aware of during Zimbabwe’s current lockdown:
-Restaurants are closed for eat-in service, but may serve take-away customers until 6pm.
-Hotel and lodge restaurants may offer dine-in service until 10pm to residents of the hotel or lodge only.
-Beer halls and nightclubs are closed.
-All gatherings, except funerals with 30 or fewer attendees, are banned.
The country has seen relatively low numbers of COVID-19 infections thus far.
The total number of infections stands at 51,195 and the total number of deaths at 1,817. An average of 912 new infections are reported each day. In contrast, 15,842 new infections are reported on average each day in South Africa during the current so-called third wave.
