Blanket Travel Bans Will Not Prevent International Spread Of Omicron: WHO

WHO chief Tedros stressed that travel restrictions do not contain transmissions. It is rather the vaccination penetration among vulnerable individuals which will contain the spread. 

A view of Cape Town International Airport as number of passengers reduced following the detection of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus, in Cape Town, South Africa on November 30, 2021. | Getty

New Delhi: The emergence of new variant of coronavirus — Omicron — has started international murmurs about travel restrictions and bans. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu on Wednesday said "the emergence of the Omicron variant has understandably captured global attention...But it should not surprise us. This is what viruses do."

He reported that at least 23 countries from five of six WHO regions have reported cases of Omicron variant. Focusing on the containment of the spread of the new variant WHO chief Tedros stressed that travel restrictions do not contain transmissions. It is rather the vaccination penetration among vulnerable individuals which will contain the spread. 

"Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread of Omicron, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," he said.

"WHO continues to call on all countries to optimise public health and social measures, and ensure that high-risk and vulnerable individuals in all countries are fully vaccinated immediately," his statement added.

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WHO chief said countries need to take rational, proportional risk-reduction measures keeping with the international health regulations to contain the spread.

WHO declared Omicron a 'variant of concern', now highlights that while addressing the new variant the world must not forget about the highly transmissible Delta variant. 

"We need to use the tools we already have to prevent transmission and save lives from Delta. And if we do that, we will also prevent transmission and save lives from Omicron," he said

Meanwhile, India, which announced the opening of scheduled international flights from December 15, has now kept its decision on hold for a while. Aviation regulator DGCA said the effective date for resumption of flights would be notified in due course.