HARARE – Zimbabwe has lifted the requirement for a negative Covid-19 PCR certificate for visitors and returning residents who are fully vaccinated.
The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Unvaccinated visitors and returning residents will still need to produce a negative PCR certificate issued in the last 48 hours before their journey when arriving at airports and land borders.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Cabinet has resolved that returning residents and visitors are no longer required to present a negative PCR certificate on arrival at ports of entry. Only a valid vaccination certificate showing that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with any one of the WHO-approved vaccines will suffice.
“This is in recognition of the declining Covid-19 new cases, most of which are now very mild or have no symptoms; and increasing vaccination coverage.
“A negative PCR certificate will only be a requirement if the returning resident or visitor is not fully vaccinated.”
As of March 28, some 4,917,541 Zimbabweans had taken at least one dose of the two-dose regimen of mainly Chinese vaccines Sinovac or Sinopharm, while 3,498,431 had taken two doses. A further 288,693 took booster shots.
The government has extended vaccination to children as young as 12, boosting vaccination figures which had stagnated. Between March 21 and 25, 481,005 vaccines were administered mainly to school children.
At least 5,438 people have died of Covid-19 since March 2020, while 245,927 contracted the respiratory illness, according to government figures.
