Australia Lifts Travel Ban from 8 African Countries

Australia lifted the travel ban on arrivals from eight southern African countries in response to concerns over the Omicron variant, the government announced on Wednesday.

Previously, the restrictions had been applied to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, and Malawi since 29 November amid fears of Omicron variant.

In a statement, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly affirmed that the ban was no longer necessary due to the spread of Omicron to other countries around the world.

"Given the global spread of Omicron, international border bans are no longer a proportionate or effective means to contain the spread of Omicron," Kelly said.

"At this stage there are no direct flights from Southern Africa to Australia and only Australian citizens, permanent residents, immediate family members, parents and eligible visa holders are able to enter Australia."

Notably, the travel ban had prompted criticism from diplomats from African countries who had labelled the measure as "discriminatory" and not "equitable [and] fair."