Although Mauritius is no longer on the UK Red List countries, there is still the imposition of the three PCR tests and a 10-day isolation on passengers duly vaccinated with any anti-Covid 19 serum. A fact that makes Mauritians cringe given that on the 17th September, a relaxation has been publicly announced by UK’s Transport Minister, Grant Shapps. Even the PCR test required on the second day after arrival on the English soil should be replaced by a less expensive antigenic test. Is there a lack of confidence in our protocols and vaccines?
British protocols
Vaccinated Mauritians are therefore on the same level of consideration as an unvaccinated passenger from a red-listed country. The arrivals must declare in their Passenger Locator Form all the countries they would have visited or transited 10 days prior to this particular trip; they also need to provide proof of a negative PCR test dated less than 3 days prior to departure for the UK and proof of their vaccination status. They will have to book a quarantine package to carry out quarantine in private accommodation for a full 10 days after arrival and book a test for the second and eighth day. The UK is not yet considering the vaccines, although some are the same serums in their vaccine programmes including Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Janssen. In the UK, Moderna also forms part of their programme.
Request already made to UK authorities
Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal, speaking at the last NCC conference on Friday 8th October, said that each country has its own way of imposing its own criteria “according to their protocols, you have to be enrolled in their vaccination programme”. The UK authorities have the right to refuse even if the vaccine is identical.” But we have made a request to include identical vaccines and our vaccination programme in the UK vaccination programme,” he said to reassure future travellers but he made it clear nevertheless that the Covid 19 guidelines and regulations are different. “A person in isolation in the UK is still allowed to go shopping or to a pharmacy, for example in an emergency. These are general rules for all arrivals which will evolve for incoming Mauritians in time” he concluded.
Solution to the inoculated at Sinopharm
The Sinopharm will no longer be a restriction to travel. The inoculated person who wishes to travel will have to take a third dose, and it will be a dose of Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson.
