The recent cases of Mauritians being held back at the airport is a cause for concern. The big questions aroused: do travellers really take the time to properly inform themselves? Should the professional of the travel sector be blamed? Can the vaccine approved by the destination really be blamed?
Lack of information deplored by victim
Among these cases, the one involving a 50-year-old woman is the most commented. Inoculated with Sinopharm, she was turned away at the counter at SSR airport. However, given that her PCR tests were negative, she has been able to buy her ticket online, took out a travel insurance and even get an international vaccination card. She wanted to go to France for a three-month stay but had no compelling reason to travel. Provided with the wrong information about her vaccination, the 50-year-old said she did not get any information about Sinopharm at any level, not even from the French embassy, and that her eligibility for this trip, apart from the ticket, cost her Rs 10,000 in terms of PCR test and insurance. She will not recover this amount and is in negotiations to recover the amount of her ticket.
But the French embassy could not be clearer on the subject. As posted on its website, the entry to France is allowed only if the two doses of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines have been completed. Therefore, there is no mention of other vaccines available in Mauritius including Covaxin, Sputnik and here, the famous Sinopharm.
Separate ‘travel restrictions’
The major travel agencies and other players provide all this information on their websites or to their clients face to face, where agents invite travellers to find out as much as possible about their chosen destination. The rest is up to the travellers.
Moshin Moossa, the Director of the Titanium Travel Club, gives us some objective insight. “In today’s environment, every prospective traveller must inquire about the latest Covid-19 Travel restrictions. Today, flying on a whim is no longer possible, because each country has its own travel restrictions.” He strongly advises passengers to go to their usual travel agencies as they have all the necessary information to guide passengers to their destinations. “To avoid unpleasant surprises at the last minute, especially at the airport, I strongly advise passengers to check the websites of the embassies, because a trip is also a whole preparation. To be informed is to understand the future. You should not believe that being “fully vaccinated” is the only criterion to be able to take a plane, there are still countries whose borders are strictly controlled. So check with your airline or travel agency,” concludes Moshin Moossa.
