The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday announced that no traveler will be allowed into or out of Kenya without an authentic and verified travelers’ COVID-19 certificate effective Monday, January 11.
MOH’s move is informed by the need to weed out fake COVID-19 certificates following numerous instances disquiet among other countries that Kenya’s procedures to curb spread of COVID-19 at points of entry are not bulletproof exposing other countries to imported cases of the virus.
Consequently, no laboratories will be allowed to issue a certificate without trusted travel codes.
” This will help us also save Kenya, the shame and travel bans when people use fake certificates and fake tests.” Head of Public Health Dr. Francis Kuria said.
In November alone, nearly 100 Kenyans flew out of the country using fake COVID-19 certificates only to test positive in Dubai.
The government in collaboration with the African Union, Africa CDC and with technical support from Panabios has implemented an online system to authenticate and verify travelers’ COVID-19 certificates before departure or entry.
Protocol
A person wishing to travel into or outside Kenya will be required to visit an authorized lab to take a PCR COVID-19 test. In Kenya, all authorized PCR COVID-19 testing laboratories have been linked to the trusted travel initiative.
If one tests negative, one will be issued with a travel code that can be verified by airlines and port health authorities.
The traveler will then receives a text message from panabios and in addition, an email from the testing laboratory and /or admin@panabios.org with a link to guide the traveler IN generating a travel code at trustedtravel.panabios.org.
“You can then download your certificate with the travel code and present it. if not, the SMS sent to you by panabios is enough even if you go to the airport.” Dr. Kuria added.
If the test returns positive feedback and meets he exit and entry requirements of Kenya and their travel destination, a travel code is issued to the traveler online. With this travel code, one can travel to their transit and or final destination.
MoH is now exuding confidence that the move will ensure no importation of cases into the country and in the same vein no cases will be exported from Kenya to another country.
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