Countries around the world including UK, USA, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Iran, Canada, EU are imposing travel ban from southern African countries – in an effort to prevent the infection from spreading worldwide as the new Covid variant Omicron has surged.
The variant has been officially named by World health Organization as Omicron.
WHO said It has many mutations, early evidences indicate that it spreads with an increased reinfection risk.
While looking at the surge in Omicron Covid cases across world specifically from South African countries, world countries are bracing to ban travellers from Southern African countries.
UK bans travelers from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini unless they are UK or Irish nationals, or UK residents.
US officials said flights from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi would be blocked, mirroring earlier moves taken by the EU and it will come into effect from Monday.
Similarly, Australia, Brazil, Iran, Japan, Canada, Thailand are also imposing the travel bans.
On Saturday, hundreds of passengers who were arriving in Amsterdam from South Africa tested positive for the new variant, Omicron.
61 people from two flights have tested positive for Covid-19’s Omicron.
They have been quarantined at a hotel near the airport while they have further tests, Dutch officials told BBC.
Whereas Netherlands, currently struggling with record-breaking surge in cases has announced a partial lockdown – involving early closure of bars, restaurants and most shops there, from Sunday.
The new Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on 24 November and identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel before.
