HARARE – Zimbabwe issued a new travel advisory for visitors from India on Wednesday, decreeing a mandatory 10-day quarantine for all arrivals.
The announcement came after a Kwekwe resident, who returned from India on April 29 and died on May 12, was found to have been infected with the “Indian variant” which scientists say spreads more easily and is much more virulent.
“Genomic sequencing tests were carried out on samples collected from a reported focalized outbreak in Kwekwe which was linked to a traveller from India, a high-risk Covid-19 transmission area,” Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga said in a statement.
“The test conducted revealed that the B.1.617 variants predominantly from the Republic of India was detected at the focalized outbreak in Kwekwe. The nation is therefore advised that this variant B.1. 617 is now in Zimbabwe.
“The following travel advisory is therefore being issued. People traveling from or transiting from India will be subject to mandatory quarantine at a designated quarantine centre and at their own cost. These travellers will be subjected to a Covid-19 test on arrival despite the status of their travelling certificate.
“Travellers coming into the country from other countries should present with a Covid-19 PCR test done not more than 48 hours from the time of departure, failure of which this will be done on arrival on one’s expense.”
The government had earlier said contact tracing revealed that the Kwekwe victim had infected at least 11 members of his family.
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe said it had recorded 38,595 Covid-19 cases including 1,583 deaths. At least 600,579 people had received the first of two doses of either the Chinese Sinopharm or Indian Covaxin vaccines which sharply lessen the risk of falling violently ill or dying from the virus.
