On March 18, 2022, the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, issued a decree, Decreto 23/2022, ordering that certain COVID-19-related restrictions in the country be eased.
The preamble of the decree explains that in late January 2022, the COVID-19 transmission rate began decreasing substantially and the trend has been sustained since then. As of late March, the positivity rate was 0.2%. Furthermore, the decree indicates that vaccination continues to take place and antivirals are now available, which has allowed the government to ease restrictions, as follows:
- The curfew that was in force from 12:00 a.m.–6:00 a.m. has been lifted throughout the national territory.
- Accordingly, nightclubs may reopen. Casinos, bars, parks, restaurants, swimming pools, beaches, churches, and other public establishments may operate at a maximum of 50% of their total capacity.
- The three-day quarantine applicable to travelers arriving through any point of entry (by land, air, or sea) may now take place in either a hotel or a private domicile (the latter option being added by the new decree). The cost of staying in hotels must be paid by the traveler.
Other measures provided by the decree include the following:
- Vaccination of all national and foreign citizens who are over 18 years of age is mandatory.
- Individuals ages 18 and older must provide a vaccination card to make transactions with government entities and to have access to banks, supermarkets, restaurants, and generally any public establishment.
- To board flights and ships, passengers must provide a negative PCR or antigen test and their vaccination card (if they are 18 years of age or older).
- The use of facemasks in public places is mandatory.