Travelers exit the International Arrivals area at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, on Monday. The Biden administration is banning travel to non-US citizens from several African countries due to concerns about omicron variation.
Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images
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Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images
Travelers exit the International Arrivals area at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, on Monday. The Biden administration is banning travel to non-US citizens from several African countries due to concerns about omicron variation.
Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images
The United States is issuing a travel ban in an effort to limit the spread of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus, which World Health Organization warns of “very high” global risk.
Beginning Monday, President Biden imposed travel restrictions for non-US citizens from the following eight countries:
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambican
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
NS European UnionCanada, United Kingdom and Israel have also announced travel restrictions from South African countries.
Some health officials and public health experts warn against traveling alone may not be effective in controlling the spread of infectious disease, and can even cause harm, such as exacerbating xenophobia and preventing countries from being transparent about the future state of the virus.
The variant was first reported last week in South Africa, where vaccination rates about 24%.
Instances of omicron variation have since it was confirmed in Botswana, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Israel, Netherlands, Australia and Hong Kong.
Biden is encouraging children and adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“This pandemic will not end until we have universal vaccinations,” he said. last week in a statement.
In an address on Monday, he said the variation was “a cause for concern – not a cause for panic.”
Tien Le is an intern at NPR’s News Desk.
This story originally appeared on NS Morning version live blogs.
