South Africa to recognise all COVID-19 vaccination proofs to avoid confusion
The
South African government has said it will recognise all verifiable
vaccination proofs to avoid confusion and inconvenience to international
travellers at the ports of entry after some passengers presented
COVID-19 vaccine certificates that are not defined in the current regime
of health regulations.
The
government has acted swiftly to clear the confusion over Covid-19
vaccination documents being provided by international travellers, some
of whom reportedly had to undergo Covid testing and possible quarantine
on arrival despite having valid certificates from their countries of
origin.
“The South African Government has noted the recent incidents at some
ports of entry involving international travellers who presented proof
of vaccination which are not defined in the current regime of
of health regulations,” South Africa's Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) said in a statement on Friday.
It
said the proofs of vaccination provided by international travellers
were verifiable in terms of current regulations, but this had been
complicated by different methods used by various authorities abroad.
“Because
there is no globally agreed template of proof of vaccination, it has
come to our attention that some countries use vaccination cards with a
QR Code, while others use certificates with a QR Code as a proof of
vaccination,” the statement said.
