Mozambique: Government relaxes restrictive measures – AIM report

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Mozambique: Government relaxes restrictive measures – AIM report

5:15 CAT | 18 Dec 2020

Photo: Domingo

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday announced a series of measures to relax the restrictions imposed earlier in the year in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of these are clearly designed to help the tourism and hospitality industries, which took a huge hit from the near closure of Mozambique’s borders. Thus Nyusi confirmed that all border posts currently operating will issue tourist visas: potential tourists will not have to apply for their visas beforehand at embassies and consulates.

Visas were already being issued at some border posts, but in a haphazard and inconsistent manner. But now, as from Saturday, all border posts are authorised to issue visas.

But some border posts that are critical for tourism have not yet re-opened. This is the case with the post at Ponta de Ouro, on Mozambique’s border with the South African province of Kwazulu-Natal, about 120 kilometres south of Maputo.

Nyusi said the government is in discussions with the South African authorities about re-opening the Ponta de Ouro border, which is the most convenient crossing point for many South African tourists. Re-opening Ponta de Ouro will also relieve the pressure on the Ressano Garcia border post.

Nyusi announced that the results of the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests for Covid-19, demanded of all visitors to Mozambique, will now be valid for 96 rather than 72 hours, another measure that will please would-be tourists. The 96 hours are counted from the moment the sample is collected.

“We’ve increased the period of validity because people were arriving at the borders with their test results expired or about to expire, which caused them problems”, said Nyusi.

The president announced the re-opening of bars and kiosks selling alcoholic drinks, which had been closed down when the first state of emergency was announced on 1 April. People may buy and consume alcohol at these places between 09.00 and 16.00 from Sunday to Thursday and between 09.00 and 19.00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The closing time for markets has now been extended from 17.00 to 18.00.

The upper limit on the number of people legally allowed to attend private parties and ceremonies has been raised from 40 to 50 in closed, or semi-open spaces, and to 150 in the open air.

Nyusi warned that the government may reverse some or all of these measures, if the situation deteriorates. “We can decree lockdown measures in a particular province, or ban people from visiting a particular beach”, he said.

“We must act with responsibility and realism”, he stressed. “The measures I have announced can be altered, depending on the evolution of the pandemic”.

All the basic preventive measures against Covid-19 remain in force, Nyusi insisted. These include regular washing of hands, social distancing (with a recommended distance of at least 1.5 metres between individuals), avoiding crowds, and wearing masks in public places.

The President added that the government is establishing contacts so that Mozambique obtains vaccines against Covid-19. But this will take time – Health Minister Armindo Tiago has said that vaccination is unlikely to begin before June or July 2021.

The prospect of vaccination should not lead Mozambicans to drop their guard. “Even with an effective vaccine, we will have to continue implementing basic preventive measures”, said Nyusi.

Source: AIM