A group of people who have said they refuse to take any vaccines for COVID-19 – at a time when the number of cases worldwide is at an all-time high – are reportedly looking for a cryptocurrency expert to join them in Africa. .
An anti-vaccination group is building a “community” off the coast of southeast Africa and plans to hire private chefs, TV hosts and cryptocurrency experts, according to a report Friday by Vice. The company behind the group, Liberty Places, is a self-proclaimed real estate firm based in the Zanzibar archipelago. He has previously posted on social media about his plans to use “the latest technologies from blockchain to solar energy” in addition to criticizing the use of masks in the fight against the pandemic.
Despite our opinion this morning; knowing that testing, masks, lockdowns, social distancing is now a structural norm in Europe and will return every year of your life is reason enough to plan an exit!pic.twitter.com/aino9GsoUD— Liberty Places Ltd (@liberty_places) January 16, 2022
Vice reported that the group praised Zanzibar for not complying with “mask-wearing requirements, social distancing measures or lockdowns, nor imposing any mandatory vaccine requirements”, describing the island as “free from bureaucratic interference”. The comments come at a time when the 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases is over 3 million, and many public health officials and lawmakers continue to call for the use of social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccinations to be reinforced when possible.
Many countries remain closed to short-term visitors, and others do not require a combination of proof of vaccination, hotel quarantine, and a negative COVID-19 test. For visitors from the United States, Tanzania stands out as a country that only allows tourists to enter with a negative test – with no mandatory quarantine or vaccinations. There are conflicting reports on the number of new cases in the country, but Zanzibar’s limited size makes it unlikely it won’t be able to accommodate millions of vaccine detractors, so locals worried about the virus may still be practicing social distancing.
Related: Zanzibar in Tanzania Reportedly Exploring Ways to Accept Cryptocurrency
Tanzania’s central bank banned cryptocurrencies in November 2019, but it is reportedly looking into reversing its decision following comments by President Samiya Suluhu Hasan in June urging the central bank to prepare for bitcoin (BTC) and digital assets. The country is also reportedly planning to introduce a digital shilling after neighboring countries announced initiatives to explore CBDC.
Cointelegraph reached out to Liberty Places but received no response as of press time.
