LUANDA, Jan. 6 — Angolan authorities charge 11,000 kwanzas (about 20 U.S. dollars) for each COVID-19 test made at the airport by passengers disembarking from planes coming from abroad, said the Secretary of State for Public Health Franco Mufinda.
The move, which was taken starting Wednesday, is aimed at covering the state’s costs, said the health official, who explained that prior to that decision by the Angolan authorities, the test was free of charge and benefited more than 180,000 passengers.
“Given the financial burden that this process implies for the State, there is the need to contribute with 11,000 kwanzas (about 20 U.S. dollars) for each passenger that arrives in Angola,” Mufinda said, adding that more than 180,000 travelers had been tested free of charge upon their arrivals in the country since Jan. 16, 2021, and “this implies costs.”
The testing station placed at Luanda’s international airport has the capacity to test 1,000 passengers per day, the health official said.
Angola to date has recorded 84,666 positive cases of COVID-19, with 65,285 recoveries and 1,778 deaths. (Xinhua)
Angola charges passengers arriving on flights from overseas for COVID-19 tests
