Zimbabwe has adopted the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Africa CDC) Trusted Travel Platform which allows for online certificate verification based on the Global Haven system. The initiative is meant to combat the slew of fake COVID-19 results certificates that are being created and assures that whoever is being let in at a port of entry is appropriately verified.
“Trusted Travel offers an online digital platform for the verification and authentication of COVID-19 test results based on a collaborative effort across a network of participating COVID-19 testing laboratories and Port Health authorities. This platform allows for the detection of counterfeit travel documents and also enhances cross-border collaboration and confidence in COVID-19 results originating from other countries.”
Prof. Amon Murirwa Minister for Higher and Teriary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (via The Herald)
The Trusted Travel platform was a collaboration of the Africa CDC, PanaBIOS and other partners. And at this juncture, I am sure the name “PanaBIOS” will be familiar to the eagle eyed Techzim reads because the company was also part of EcoCash Holdings’ (formerly Cassava Smartech) Sasai Travel Pass which for all intents and purposes does the same thing. With the caveat that it is a place to store COVID test results that they can be easily verified at travel checkpoints.
What you’ll need to know as a traveller
Trusted Travel gives anyone who is looking to travel in and out and Zimbabwe a list of accredited laboratories. This means that when you are looking to do a COVID-19 test you will be able to do as at a facility that will make crossing a check point inifinetly easier.
When a traveller gets tested at one of these laboratories they will get an SMS from PanaBIOS as well as an email from the lab with a link to create an account at the Trusted Travel site (link here). You can then access the results from the platform which will come with a Trusted Travel code (TT Code).
“If the test results issued satisfy the full requirements set by Zimbabwe and the country of destination (for example, validity period or test type) then a Travel Code (TC) will be issued to the traveller online for presentation to airlines and port health authorities.”
Prof. Amon Murirwa Minister for Higher and Teriary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development
Those travelling with non-Trusted Travel complaint results will need to upload a copy to the Global Haven System (link here) to have them verified.