Vanuatu is one step closer to opening international borders and starting the journey towards #ArrivalRevival after receiving its very first vaccination delivery.
Vanuatu’s progress towards open international borders reached an important milestone last week with the country’s first batch of 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arriving in Port Vila from Australia.
Vanuatu Prime Minister, the Honourable Bob Weibur Loughman, received the bulk shipment of the vaccine at an official ceremony saying mass vaccination was crucial for protecting the people of Vanuatu.
Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO Ms. Adela Issachar Aru said Vanuatu looks forward to welcoming holiday makers from Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and other markets once again.
“The vaccination program will not only safeguard the health of Vanuatu citizens but also assure visitors travelling from overseas to our islands,” says Ms. Issachar Aru.
“Vanuatu is renowned for our unspoilt natural beauty, ancient cultures and many extraordinary adventures and the vaccine rollout is an important milestone in opening our borders so visitors can experience all our country offers.
“It’s so encouraging that Vanuatu has maintained its COVID-free status throughout the pandemic and the arrival of the vaccine is fantastic news for us all, particularly our tourism operators who rely on international visitors.”
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Vanuatu will receive 24,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses every two months as part of the worldwide COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative, plus another 20,000 doses of another WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, Sinopharm.
Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health has expressed its intention to have the majority of Vanuatu’s population vaccinated by the end of 2021.
The nation’s vaccination rollout is set to begin in June with the elderly, health workers, border control staff, public transport drivers, and people with underlying medical conditions prioritised to receive the immunisation.
The Prime Minister will be the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Vanuatu, signalling the importance to the island nation of the immunisation programme.
Safe Business Operations
Vanuatu has also said it will be rolling out ‘Safe Business Operations’ training for all businesses in Vanuatu, aiming to boost awareness and take-up of COVID-safe business practices.
There are currently no cases of COVID-19 reported in Vanuatu and of the 23,000 tests undertaken in Australia and New Zealand of passengers from Vanuatu, all have been negative.
There has been no community transmission of COVID-19 in Vanuatu, despite Vanuatu having repatriated more than 5,000 of its citizens and residents since March 2020. Only three cases, in Vanuatu quarantine, have been detected since March 2020.
However, the Vanuatu Government continues to emphasise the importance of enhanced hygiene and social distancing measures to ensure that Vanuatu remains COVID-19-free.
We look forward to safely being able to visit our island neighbours once more.
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