Somaliland has suspended mandatory Covid-19 PCR test requirement certificate for travellers visiting the breakaway region.
The announcement was made by the Somaliland ministry of Health.Â
The PCR Covid-19 test was part of measures taken by the government in the awake of the global coranavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the Somaliland ministry of health has announced the suspension of the Covid-19 PCR test requirement certificate for the travelers starting from January 2023.Â
The ministry further said they made the decision after they observing there were less confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past month.
Two years ago, government lifted the ban on COVID-19 ban on both incoming and outgoing flights of all airlines have been lifted.
Likewise, the lift also appled to sea vessels arriving at Berbera which was previously limited to seafaring ships, boats and dhows bringing essential, life-saving commodities.
The government, also, lifted the ban on inland travel across the borders with neighbouring countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Ethiopia.
The government clarified that they will continue to encourage people to receive their covid vaccination and provide PCR test certificates to those traveling where the certificate is mandatory.
On several occasions, opposition parties condemned the ministry for issuing unnecessary directives against travelers referring to the PCR test and asked to lift the requirement as many countries in the region and around the world have eliminated such requirements.
Initially, travelers could not board flights out of Egal International Airport without a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued by the Ministry of Health Development in Hargeisa Group Hospital at the cost of 45 US dollars per person.
China reported its first COVID-related deaths in weeks on Monday (Dec 19) amid rising doubts over whether the official count was capturing the full toll of a disease that is ripping through cities after the government relaxed strict anti-virus controls.
Monday’s two deaths were the first to be reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) since Dec 3, days before Beijing announced that it was lifting curbs which had largely kept the virus in check for three years but triggered widespread protests last month.
Though on Saturday, Reuters journalists witnessed hearses lined up outside a designated COVID-19 crematorium in Beijing and workers in hazmat suits carrying the dead inside the facility.
Reuters could not immediately establish if the deaths were due to COVID-19.