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US to Lift Travel Restrictions on 8 African Countries


Fri 24 Dec 2021 | 07:34 PM
Taarek Refaat

The United States is expected lift travel restrictions imposed on 8 African countries over the new COVID-19 variant (Omicron).

The White House said that travel restrictions would be lifted by New Year's Eve. The countries include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi and Eswatini.

Officials said the restrictions are no longer necessary amid a US explosion of Omicron variant cases.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz tweeted: "The restrictions have given us time to understand Omicron and we know our current vaccines work against Omicron, and have been boosted."

The move was heavily criticized, with

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres heavily criticized the ban, describing it as "travel apartheid".

To justify the move, the White House's top coronavirus adviser, Anthony Fauci, said earlier this month that it "was done at a time when we were really in the dark" about Omicron.

Last week, Canada lifted its ban on foreign travelers from 10 African countries. An official said the surge in the number of domestic Omicron cases in the country meant the requirements were "no longer necessary".

Only one death in the United States has so far been linked to Omicron: a Texan man in his 50s who was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions. The variant now accounts for most new US cases.

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