Kenya: Covid-19 Curbs for International Travel Eased as Positivity Rates Drop Below 1%

Nairobi — Kenya has revised the Covid-19 travel regulations, removing some of the requirements that travellers in and out of the country needed to observe. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has received the new guidelines from the Ministry of Health, which has, among other things, lifted the requirement to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination or PCR tests for international travel. Like most countries, the rate of Covid-19 infection has been reducing in Kenya over the past few months from a weekly average of of 2.5 per cent in mid-January 2023 to a weekly average of 0.5 per cent at the end of April. In the guidelines communicated to KCAA, the Ministry of Health recommended that with effect from 3rd May 2023: all travelers arriving into the country through any point of entry shall no longer be required to show proof of either COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-departure COVID-19 test. Further only travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya with flu-like symptoms will be expected to fill the passenger locator form on the ‘Jitenge’ platform and will also be required to take a COVID-19 antigen test upon arrival at their own cost. Those who turn positive for Antigen testing will be required to take a further COVID-19 PCR test at their own cost. Isolation procedure Travelers with severe symptoms shall thereafter be allowed isolate as per the prevailing isolation requirements for mild, moderate and sever disease. Sign up for free AllAfrica s Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Truck drivers entering the country shall no longer be required to have proof of COVID19 PCR test or COVID-19 vaccination at the points of entry. Persons traveling out of the country will be required to abide by the particular travel, health and COVID-19 related requirements of the destination country. Under the new regulations, predeparture PCR testing may be considered at the discretion of any of the airlines departing from or terminating in Kenya. KCAA sees these new regulations as a positive development that will spur aviation growth localy, regionally and internationaly. Covid-19 had caused devastating effects to aviation, crippling the industry for two years when the pandemic was soaring. However, the aviation industry survived this crisis and has now bounced back, with airlines resuming full operations.