Kenya will introduce Covid-19 vaccination passports by 2022, Tourism CS Najib Balala has said.
This means you could soon require proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter and exit Kenya or transit to another country.
The passports will be used by visitors arriving at ports of entry and airports to facilitate entry into the country
Addressing the press in Nairobi on April 21, 2021, the CS said the decision was motivated by the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic that had adversely affected the hospitality industry.
He added that the country had no option but to make the hard decisions to restrict entry into the country using the passports.
“We have come to a stage and time when we must make difficult decisions,” said the CS.
The move, he said, would protect citizens from further spread of Covid-19 due to the entry of new variants said to be responsible for the current fourth wave that is being reported in countries like the UK, India and Brazil.
“To protect our industry and get back into full economic activity and profitability, we must the necessary steps,” he said.
A total of 50,000 hospitality industry staff are targeted in the vaccination campaign.
Mr Balala said the passports will not be very different from the yellow fever certification required before international travellers are granted access to most countries.
“The Covid-19 passport will not be the first of kind and should not be a cause for worry. This is a universal trend that we have already seen with the yellow fever vaccinations,” said the CS.
He said the process was likely to be rolled out next year.
“We believe that all the systems required for the passport’s smooth operations will be in place by 2022,” said the CS.
His remarks come in the wake of an unprecedented economic downturn coupled with regulatory roadblocks that have paralyzed most activities in the hospitality.
At present, hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants and eateries are currently barred from providing full time services, with only take away options allowed.
Up to 80 percent of the hotel industry’s revenues in the country have been lost since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country with the first case announced on March, 2019.
According to the CS, Direct and indirect job losses in the sector are estimated at more than 2.5 million. This is contained in a press statement he made on September 10, 2021.
Sars-Cov2 is the coronavirus that causes the infectious disease that has killed over 3 million people worldwide including 2,540 Kenyans.
In going down this route, Kenya becomes just one of may other countries that have announced the consideration of Covid-19 passports.
Several countries are already using the passports, albeit with widely differing policies and implementation protocols.
For instance, Israel began issuing ‘green passes’ in February 2021 to their vaccinated citizens. The move was designed to allow for less restricted internal movement and access to businesses such as to gyms or theaters.
Other countries, such as Bahrain and China have begun issuing digital vaccine passports to their vaccinated citizens to empower them to travel internationally with minimum hassle.
Proof of Covid-19 vaccination in countries such as Georgia, Estonia, Seychelles and Poland will exempt incoming travelers from certain travel restrictions such as mandatory Covid-19 testing or staying in quarantine until the test results are known.
Many other countries including Kenya, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Greece, Denmark, the EU, and the U.S. are considering the use of COVID-19 vaccine passports, for both internal or international movement.
Several international organizations including the World Health Organization, World Economic Forum, International Chamber of Commerce, and the International Air Travel Association are currently involved in efforts to set standards as well as coordinate the design and implementation of vaccine passports for international travel.
As part of its mandate under the International Health Regulations (IHR), the WHO is coordinating member states’ efforts to provide a public health response to the international spread of diseases.
Yellow fever is currently the only disease listed in the IHR for which countries can require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. Covid-19 vaccination could be included in an updated version of the IHR.
In the US, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) recently released guidance with the recommendation that fully vaccinated individuals can resume non-essential travel safely within the U.S.
The CDC also stated that fully vaccinated individuals can consider international travel subject to maintaining recommended safety measures.
Although the U.S. currently requires all air passengers coming to the U.S. to have a negative COVID-19 test, federal officials have also indicated that vaccination may be required for entry into the U.S. for incoming travelers in future.
Individual states are however taking different sides on the issue. Several have launched vaccine certificates or are actively exploring their use. New York was the first state to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine certification pass.
With this pass, only certified vaccinated individuals will be allowed to access certain social activities like accessing supermarkets, concerts or sporting events.
