Tanzania sets fees for Covid-19 clearance certificates

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has today July 20 issued new guidelines for obtaining Covid-19 clearance certificate for both nationals and foreigners living in the country with plans to travel to countries where such certificates are required.
 According to a statement issued by  the Minister for Health, Social Development, Gender, elderly and Children,  Ummy Mwalimu the fee for screening is Sh40,000 for Tanzanian nationals, Sh60,000 for foreigners who are residents and $100 visitors in the country.
In a statement released to the media, she said that travelers who have a Covid-19 clearance certificate will only be seen to be legal after it is stamped and verified electronically.
“The procedure for obtaining the certificate is clear, the screening results will be taken to the regional chief medical office and issued within 72 hours for those who don’t have the infection and their names sent to the borders for verification,” she said.
The tests can only be obtained at the regional hospitals and not otherwise.
The regional chief chemist’s office will supervise the screening at the national laboratory and the  traveler to be informed on the need to test five days before day of travel because the certificate lasts for only 14 days in a most of countries.
Explaining, she said, the pandemic continues to affect various countries since it was first discovered December 2019.
“Until June 23 this year a total of 8.9 million had been affected and 469,587 deaths recorded,” read the statement.
A number of countries have put up measures including lockdowns as means of dealing with the pandemic.
Tanzania was among the first countries to open its airspace and allow travelers to enter the country through set guidelines.
In view of the guidelines Tanzania also came up with measures that required self- testing for those wanting to travel outside the country which includes request for testing, screening, and how to get the results, verification and the cost of testing.