The United States will lift restrictions on most air travelers from eight southern African nations before the end of the year, reversing the move meant to curb the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
The Biden administration “will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries” on Dec. 31, White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a Friday tweet.
THOUSAND OF FLIGHTS CANCELED ON CHRISTMAS EVE
Munoz’s tweet, which shared a Reuters report on the decision, said the call was made based on a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron, and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted,” Munoz stated.
The restrictions, announced in late November, affected travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.
The first cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19, which is becoming the dominant strain worldwide, were first detected in South Africa last month.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IN THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
With the travel ban being lifted, the eight countries are now subject to the same COVID-19 travel protocols as other nations. That includes requiring foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated. All travelers are also required to get a negative COVID-19 test within one day of their intended departure.
Biden’s decision to restrict travel to the eight African nations was criticized by conservative pundits, who said the decision was comparable to former President Donald Trump’s decision in 2017 to restrict travel to Muslim-majority countries.
