Sierra Leone Telegraph: 7 October 2021:
UK Transport Minister – Grant Shapps, has today announced that as from 4am next Monday, 11th October 2021, the UK’s Covid red list will reduce to seven countries, with proof of vaccination by travellers arriving to the UK from 37 new countries and territories recognised.
After over three months of recording zero cases of Covid infections, many in Sierra Leone have been praying and calling for the British government to remove Sierra Leone from the Covid red list. Today their prayers have been answered, though not many Sierra Leoneans can afford the cost of air travel out of the country.
Nonetheless, today’s announcement will mark a major turning point and a great relief for many Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora and visitors waiting to travel to Sierra Leone.
But the British government is still advising “against all but essential travel to the whole of Sierra Leone based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks,” despite the zero recording of Covid infections in Sierra Leone in the last three months.
With 47 countries and territories now removed from the UK travel red list, the British government says that this will make it easier for more people to travel abroad to a larger number of countries and territories, as passengers returning to England from these destinations will no longer be required to enter hotel quarantine saving thousands of British Pounds per passenger.
According to the statement published today by the British government, “the continued progress on vaccination both at home and around the world means government can confidently reduce the size of the red list to focus on countries which pose the highest risk, informed by UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) assessment.”
But all passengers travelling to the Uk from Sierra Leone must show valid proof of having been fully vaccinated with a recognised vaccine.
Sierra Leone is not on the UK list of countries with approved vaccination programme (see list below)
Eligible fully vaccinated passengers and eligible under 18s returning from countries and territories not on the red list, can do so with just a day 2 test.
Passengers who are not fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine returning from a non-red destination must still take a pre-departure test, a day 2 and day 8 test and complete 10 days self-isolation (with the option of Test to Release on day 5).
Passengers who are not an eligible traveller with an authorised vaccine arriving from a rest of world destination must still take a pre-departure test, a day 2 and day 8 test and complete 10 days self-isolation (with the option of Test to Release on day 5).
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “With half-term and winter sun around the corner, we’re making it easier for families and loved ones to reunite, by significantly cutting the number of destinations on the red list, thanks in part to the increased vaccination efforts around the globe. Restoring people’s confidence in travel is key to rebuilding our economy and levelling up this country. With less restrictions and more people traveling, we can all continue to move safely forward together along our pathway to recovery.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our robust border measures have helped protect the phenomenal progress of our vaccination programme, and it is because of this success both here and around the world that we can safely open up travel further and we can visit friends and family abroad. We’re now making it easier and cheaper for people to travel by allowing fully vaccinated travellers from non-red list countries to use lateral flow tests on day 2 of arrival, as long as they provide proof of use.”
What you need to do when you travel to England depends on whether you qualify as fully vaccinated or not. To qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England, you must have been fully vaccinated with a full course of an approved vaccine in the UK, under the UK overseas vaccination programme or in one of the countries and territories listed below.
Approved vaccines
You must have had a complete course of one of the following vaccines at least 14 days before you arrive in England:
Oxford/AstraZeneca
Pfizer BioNTech
Moderna
Janssen
The day you have your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.
Formulations of these vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, also qualify as approved vaccines.
2 dose vaccines
If you were vaccinated with a 2 dose vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca, or a combination of them), you must have had both doses to be considered fully vaccinated.
This applies in all cases, even if you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19 and have natural immunity.
Those who have had COVID-19 and have only had one dose of a 2 dose vaccine must follow the rules for unvaccinated arrivals.
Where 2 doses of a vaccine are required for a full course, you can:
mix 2 different types of vaccine from the above list, for example Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna
have the 2 vaccinations under 2 different approved programmes, for example Australia and Japan, UK and USA, France and Canada
Single dose vaccines
If you had an approved one dose vaccine, such as Janssen, you are fully vaccinated.
Proof of vaccination
You must be able to prove that you’ve been fully vaccinated under a vaccination programme with approved proof of certification. There are several ways to prove vaccination status: the NHS COVID pass if you live in England; the EU Digital COVID Certificate; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination card for US residents; a vaccine certificate.
Vaccine certificates only
If you use a vaccine certificate as proof, it must be issued by a national or state-level public health authority, be in English, French or Spanish, and include as a minimum: your forename and surname(s); your date of birth; vaccine brand and manufacturer; date of vaccination for every dose; country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issuer
The following is a List of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination for travel to England and examples of proof of vaccination:
If you were vaccinated in a country or territory that is not on this list, or with a vaccine that is not listed, you must follow the rules for people who do not qualify as fully vaccinated. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules. You must do this whether you qualify as fully vaccinated or not.
Country or territory / Examples of proof that you’ve been fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine
Akrotiri and Dhekelia Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Albania Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Andorra EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Anguilla Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Antigua and Barbuda Vaccine certificate.
Australia Vaccine certificate.
Austria EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
The Bahamas Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Bahrain Vaccine certificate.
Bangladesh Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Barbados Vaccine certificate.
Belgium EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Bermuda Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Brazil Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
British Indian Ocean Territory Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
British Virgin Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Brunei Vaccine certificate.
Bulgaria EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Canada Vaccine certificate.
Cayman Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Chile Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Colombia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Croatia EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Cyprus EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Czech Republic (Czechia) EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Denmark EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Dominica Vaccine certificate.
Egypt Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Estonia EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Falkland Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Finland EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
France EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Georgia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Germany EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Ghana Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Gibraltar Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Greece EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Grenada Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Hong Kong Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Hungary EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Iceland EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
India Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Indonesia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Ireland EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Israel Vaccine certificate.
Italy EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Jamaica Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Japan Vaccine certificate.
Jordan Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Kenya Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Kosovo Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Kuwait Vaccine certificate.
Latvia EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Liechtenstein EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Lithuania EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Luxembourg EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Malaysia Vaccine certificate.
Maldives Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Malta EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Moldova Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Monaco EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Montenegro Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Montserrat Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Morocco Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Namibia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Netherlands EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
New Zealand Vaccine certificate.
Nigeria Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
North Macedonia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Norway EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Oman Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Pakistan Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Philippines Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Poland EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Portugal EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Qatar Vaccine certificate.
Romania EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
San Marino EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Saudi Arabia Vaccine certificate.
Serbia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Singapore Vaccine certificate.
Slovakia EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Slovenia EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
South Africa Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
South Korea Vaccine certificate.
Spain EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
St Kitts and Nevis Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
St Lucia Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Sweden EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Switzerland EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of a Swissmedic approved vaccine.
Taiwan Vaccine certificate.
Thailand Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
This country is currently on the red list. If you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.
Turkey Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
Turks and Caicos Islands Letter of proof from the overseas territory government showing you’ve been fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccine programme.
Ukraine Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vaccine certificate.
USA CDC card showing you’ve had a full course of an FDA-approved vaccine in the USA plus proof that you are a resident of the USA.
Vatican City EU DCC showing you’ve had a full course of an EMA approved vaccine.
Vietnam Will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4am Monday 11 October. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
For more information – click here
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/travel-update-47-countries-and-territories-removed-from-red-list
The barrier to travel now is Sierra Leone. Pcr test before travel 1million 100 thousand Leones; Pcr lateral flow on arrival pre paid 800.000 Leones; Visa 800.000 Leones; Departure test 500.000 Leones. Then the threat of quarantine if you sat near someone on flight who test positive.
I have to pay £60 day 2 on arrival in uk. So total cost is £270 if travel alone not with kids or partner.
Common sense has finally prevailed. No doubt our public admission of the delta variant reaching our country qualified us to be added to the red list. I hope other countries will follow the UK given that Africa has been unduly punished. A special thanks to the President of Ghana for highlighting this unfair treatment of the African continent by the west in their Covid measures. Which was laid bare in his speech at the UNGA. Such leaders are a breath of fresh air giving us hope and pride as Africans.
To be honest we should never have been in that red list of countries in the first place. If we take Sierra Leone as a whole, the infection and deaths rate from covid19 is one of the lowest in the world.less than the size of Scotland, which is similar in population size , and is part of the UK. To have placed Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Brazil in the same mix bag of countries deemed too dangerous as super spreaders of covid19, was unwarranted for, and plays in to the hands of those that accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of not taking strict measures in closing the UK borders in the first place when the delta virus was first identified. This is good news for our country’s travelling public. And goodnews for our tourist industries that have been hit hard by this covid19 pandemic. All but seven countries, mostly from the Caribbean and South America like Peru and Dominica, remains in the UK red list of countries in the containment zone.
Aparantly this is due to an other variant identified in that region of the world separate from the delta virus. Thanks to our public health officials, like NACOVERC, that have managed to stop the spread of this deadly covid19 through the protocols they put in place, when a returning Sierra Leonean national from France was identified as patient zero in our country. Now we should not be complacent, by thinking by removing our country from the socalled red list, the virus itself have disappeared. Quiet the opposite. The Corona virus is still active and killing people. In America is mostly amongst the vaccine deniers, and conspiracy theorist. Doesn’t surprise me. Whilst majority of our Western partners have managed to vaccinate their populations, Sierra-leone is still struggling to lay her hands on more vaccines. The trouble is the world’s most advanced economies have managed to hoard sometimes twice or three times the amount of covid19 vaccines their populations required, whilst countries like Sierra-leone and other parts Africa, can only standby and look on in horror . This naked vaccine nationalism from our Western partners needs to stop.
No one is safe from this horrible disease until everyone is vaccinated. Meanwhile, as ordinary citizens the only ways we can slow the spread of the virus, is to listen to government and scientific authorities advice. Not your local witch doctor that are busy promoting false narratives about this deadly disease.