According to the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar the archipelago off the Tanzanian coastline in East Africa is ready to welcome travellers from around the world.
Zanzibar’s Ministry of Tourism and Heritage issued a statement reassuring the international community and travellers that it was open for business and it was closely monitoring the situation after the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on 6 April 2023 on the “Marburg Virus Disease Outbreaks in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania”.
According to the CDC, in February and March 2023, two distinct outbreaks of Marburg virus were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania and these outbreaks mark the first time that Marburg virus has been identified in either Equatorial Guinea or Tanzania.
The ministry has maintained that as it heads toward the “Green Season”, the Zanzibar archipelago has yet to record a single case of the Marburg virus first detected in March 2023, in the north-west Kagera region of mainland Tanzania.
“While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended travellers avoid contact with sick individuals and monitor any potential symptoms, it has not advised against travelling to Tanzania and Zanzibar,” said the ministry.
It also said that furthermore, it is important to understand that the Islands of Zanzibar are located in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, separated by at least 1,588kms of ocean and land between the islands and the Kagera region on the mainland and as such, it poses no risk of infection.
Tourism Minister Simai Mohammed Said reiterated that there is absolutely no cause for alarm the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar is monitoring the situation closely.
“Given that Covid-19 is still fresh in our minds, we understand that people are cautious when learning of new infections. However, such fears are often unfounded, such is the case now. Tanzania is adhering to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards and people have no reason to worry. Members of the international business community and those visiting our beautiful region and islands can rest assured that it is very much business as usual, and their health is in no way at risk from this virus. In the next few weeks Tanzania should be free from the virus,” said the minister.
Findings by the United Republic of Tanzania’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO show that as of the 4th of April 2023, the total number of remaining Marburg virus cases in the Kagera region was three, of which only two remain in isolation after one person was discharged on the 5th of April 2023.
“This is further evidence that the spread of the virus has been halted. As we prepare to welcome our annual influx of visitors from the Northern Hemisphere and the Middle East, they can be safe in the knowledge that the virus is contained and presents no threat to them or the citizens of Zanzibar,” commented Said.
Meanwhile, The United Republic of Tanzania has deployed rapid response teams for the purposes of contact tracing and monitoring risk communication activities, measures that are proving highly successful with limiting the spread of the virus in the Kagera region.
According to the Tourism and Heritage Ministry, Zanzibar is set for a bumper tourist season, with the country already welcoming 65,430 international visitors in February, an increase of 39.2% on the 46,995 visitors recorded in February 2022.
“Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the archipelago has seen an influx of visitors from the United States of America and the Middle East as well as those from its core European markets. It is anticipated this trend will continue in the coming months and throughout summer,” said the ministry.
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