Zimbabwe’s updated travel regulations – implemented after a surge in cases (57 963 cases as of July 7, with 41 624 recoveries) – are reportedly set to be reviewed next week.

Last week the Zimbabwe government announced that anyone arriving from a country where the Alpha and Delta COVID-19 variants were prevalent or increasing would go into self-funded mandatory quarantine for 10 days at a designated facility.

They will be tested within 48 hours of arrival and on days three, five and 10 at their own expense. They will then be released upon receipt of a negative COVID-19 test result.

Campaign Co-ordinator for the We are Victoria Falls travel collective, Shelley Cox, told Tourism Update that this currently appeared to apply to those travelling from India, with the latest UK Government travel advisory seeming to confirm this.

The advisory states: “The [Zimbabwe] government has confirmed that arrivals from India are affected by these measures. Arrivals from other countries may be added in due course.”

Cox added that South Africa, specifically, appeared to be exempt from the quarantine as per the following mentioned in the latest Statutory Instrument: “(b) any SADC country (other than the Republic of South Africa) declared by the Minister by means of a COVID-19 infection hotspot order made under subsection (3) to be a hotspot for the purpose of this section”.

The ‘hotspot’ definition applies to countries where the Alpha and Delta COVID-19 variants are prevalent.

The updated regulations, specifically related to travellers, in short are as follows:

• Intercity movements prohibited except for production and movement of food and medicines – any travellers require a letter of exemption from a local police station.
• Travellers with fake COVID-19 documents face custodial sentence after arrest.
• Restaurants are closed and only open to serve customers on a takeaway basis. Hotels and lodge restaurants remain open for resident tourists visiting.
• There is a curfew from 18h00 to 06h00.
• All travellers arriving into the country are still required to present a PCR negative certificate issued within 48 hours of departure for Zimbabwe. If they are presenting symptoms of COVID they will be required to take another PCR test at their own cost on arrival and, if found positive, will be required to quarantine at their own cost.