Namibia will officially be off the United Kingdom (UK) ‘red list’ come Monday, in line with the Ministry of International Relations (MIRCO) expectations.
The move will now allow unrestricted travel between the two countries.
The number of countries on the UK COVID travel ‘red list’ will now be cut from 54 to seven, the UK government announced on Thursday.
The development comes as MIRCO had lobbied UK government officials in Windhoek and London over the continued inclusion of Namibia on the ‘red list’.
“MIRCO wishes to express sincere gratitude to all those working behind the scenes, who assisted in having Namibia removed from the red list. The onus is now on Namibia to demonstrate that it is a safe country to travel to, a task which the Namibian tourism sector, as well MIRCO, has taken to heart. We will however, also, have to continue to advocate for vaccination in order to achieve herd immunity and implement health protocols to keep our nation as healthy as possible,” MIRCO Executive Director, Penda Naanda said on Friday.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC that the changes which begin on Monday, “mark the next step” in opening travel.
Red-list countries are those the UK government says should not be visited “except in the most extreme of circumstances”.
Under the UK’s travel rules, travelers who have been to a country or territory on the ‘red list’ in the last 10 days, were only allowed to enter the UK if they are British or Irish nationals or have residence rights in the UK.
These travelers were subject to rigorous COVID testing and had to quarantine at a designated hotel at their own cost.
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti and the Dominican Republic remain on the red list.
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa), which represents 1 350 businesses, said UK operators had already seen a jump in enquiries, with estimates that 300 000 British passport holders could visit friends and family or take advantage of holiday deals across southern Africa.
