Egypt opens up to vaccinated tourists without need for Covid-19 test

Cairo has said it will allow travelers to visit the country without providing a negative PCR test, as long as they have been inoculated with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization and the Egyptian Medicines Authority.

In a statement on Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health said it was updating its health controls, requirements, and procedures for entering the country during the pandemic.

A spokesperson for the ministry stated that the relaxation was only relevant for holders of vaccination passports with Covid-19 shots approved by the World Health Organization and the Egyptian Medicines Authority. The statement specified that travelers must have received at least two doses of vaccines made by Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or Moderna.

People arriving from countries affected by Covid-19 variants will be subject to a rapid test upon arrival, while those without a vaccine must present a PCR test.

Cairo lifted several restrictions on tourism at the beginning of June and it hopes to bring more travelers back, as they normally account for 15% of its gross domestic product.

The country has seen infections fall in recent weeks, following another wave of Covid-19. On Thursday, health authorities reported 466 new infections, bringing the county’s total tally to 278,761.

According to Reuters data, Egypt has administered more than four million Covid-19 vaccine shots. At most, this means only two percent of the country’s population could have been fully vaccinated against the virus.