Zambians bans foreign tourists as Covid-19 numbers swell

The Zambian Government has suspended the issuance of all tourist visas until further notice.

This is according to a notice issued by the US Embassy and posted on its website.

Travelers arriving in Zambia without a visitor visa with plans to apply for a visitor visa upon arrival for non-essential purposes will not be permitted entry despite Zambian borders being officially open.

Entrance to Zambia through non-tourist visas or permits is subject to approval from the Ministry of Health following a health screening at the port of entry.

All travelers coming into Zambia will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test result.

The test should have been conducted within the previous 14 days prior of arrival to Zambia.

The notice says Travelers who do not meet this requirement will not be allowed into Zambia.

The Zambian Government is enforcing a mandatory 14-day quarantine, testing, and regular monitoring at the residence or preferred place of stay for persons entering Zambia.

Persons arriving are no longer required to quarantine at a government-designated facility but must communicate to the Ministry of Health officials where they intend to reside and provide accurate contact information for regular follow-ups.

This includes those entering Zambia at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) as well as land borders.

It said Symptomatic individuals will be tested for COVID-19 at the airport and required to enter isolation protocol at a Zambian government facility.

International commercial flight options currently exist in Zambia with Ethiopian Airlines and U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States are advised to make commercial arrangements on Ethiopian Airlines as soon as possible.

The U.S. government is not arranging repatriation flights out of Zambia and that routine passport services are currently suspended.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times