Bots, UK mull lifting COVID travel restrictions

Currently costly for citizens to travel to the UK- Minister Kwape

Botswana and the United Kingdom governments are at an advanced stage of talks to lift the travel ban that both countries imposed on each other. Botswana was first to place a ban on all travellers from the United Kingdom at a time when the country was classified among high risk areas hit by the COVID- 19 pandemic. Currently it is very expensive for travellers from this country and many others to visit the UK as they have to produce a valid 72 hours negative Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR) certificate or risk being quarantined for 10 days at their expense and be tested once again. The scales tilted after different variants including the most virulent Delta, began accounting for the majority of the Corona cases in the UK. Recently the UK announced that it will gradually open its borders to all travellers from some of the countries that have been fully vaccinated. In an interview with BG News before he left for Rome, Italy where he is attending a two- day ‘ Italy – Africa Ministerial Conference – Encounters with Africa’, Minister of International Affairs, Dr. Lemogang Kwape revealed that the two governments are consistently engaging each other as it is proving costly for travellers from Botswana to travel to UK for business. “We must remember that their travellers too were placed on a red list and had to quarantine. It is our hope that we will quickly agree on this matter because countries are beginning to open up for travellers who are fully vaccinated.

“As I speak to you, I am travelling to Italy, Rome for a ministerial conference”.

Kwape said the Italy- Africa Ministerial Conference was launched in 2016 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to strengthen relations between Italy and African countries and since its launch, the Conference has been convened every two years. Kwape said as the African Ministers, “We are talking to Italy on issues of mutual interest to see how best we can assist each other. This is evident by the year’s Conference theme, ‘ Connecting people to prosperity through the planet’.” The event is expected to bring together representatives from fifty- four ( 54) African countries, including representatives from the African Union and other key African regional organisations as well as the G20 countries.