With the opening of travel corridors, people will travel, cross-country and across the globe, for a variety of reasons. Inevitably, such criss-crossings will include to and fro coronavirus hotspots. And justifiably, there has been genuine concerns about such movement driving another spread of the virus around. This time last year, that was the pattern of spread, mostly through international travel. However, between last December and now, the world has learnt enough about the novel coronavirus, to contain its spread, if not totally rein it in by prevention or curative means.
While there has been cheering news about a couple of vaccines that may eventually become game-changers against the scythe currently wielded by the pandemic, the world is still a long way from having assurance of curbing what has been one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. As for now, the requirement for COVID-19 tests prior to travel date is one of the essential instruments in the toolbox being deployed to combat COVID-19.
Sadly, this measure had been rendered ineffective even before it took off. The issue is the cost of the tests to the traveller. Someone travelling from London, UK to Lagos, Nigeria pays £154 for a COVID-19 test and another upfront payment of £105 for another COVID-19 test after seven days of arriving in Nigeria, totalling £259. How many travellers will be able to afford that after paying the same amount for a seat on a flight, when indeed, 95 per cent of travellers travel economy class?
With the future uncertain, one can boldly argue for free COVID-19 tests for international travellers. Such a move will encourage travellers to readily submit themselves to tests at designated certified test centres or at the certified test airports, while their national governments pick up the tab. A small travel tax included in the travel fares should be able to cover for this. That way, it is easier to identify and eliminate from the loop bugs that might otherwise truncate the objectives of the COVID-19 test. When international travellers test positive for COVID-19, they postpone their travel until they have shed the virus and test negative. With the world standing on the precipice for one whole year, enough lessons ought to have been learnt, especially about the need to have well-thought plans that do not leave room for unnecessary rebounds that will further jeopardise the world. Making the COVID-19 test free is a small price to pay in this long, unpredictable fight against the novel coronavirus.