Travel Rules Tighten In US Amid 'Omicron' Variant Scare, Know Which Countries Have Imposed Restrictions

President Biden has also put restrictions on non-US citizens travelling from 8 African countries- Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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New Delhi: With the threat of the new Covid-19 variant, countries are adopting tighter travel regulations to contain the spread. The US has updated travel rules and now travellers will have to face tougher Covid-19 tests.

President Biden has also put restrictions on non-US citizens travelling from 8 African countries- Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. According to reports, the White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci has said that so far no cases of Omicron has been detected in the US.

As cases have been detected in several countries, many have also put-up restrictions on travel including Hong Kong and Japan. A report by AP says that Japan has announced that it would bar entry to all foreigners including those from Israel.

The WHO has warned about making hasty decisions that could possibly fuel xenophobia. The organization has urged nations to take "an evidence-informed and risk-based approach" to travel measures, saying "blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods"

Omicron is a new variant of the coronavirus which was detected in early November in Southern Africa. Two countries have been confirmed to have the Omicron case before South Africa. The World Health Organization has deemed it a variant of concern as it has more mutations than Alpha & Delta. New findings of the 'Omicron' variant of the coronavirus made it clear on Tuesday that this emerging threat has spread widely in countries even before action to control the spread was initiated.  

It is not clear where or when the new variant first emerged or how contagious it may be, but it has forced countries to impose travel restrictions, especially on those arriving from Southern African countries. While there is concern around the world about the new variant, doctors in South Africa have said that only mild symptoms have been reported in people infected with 'Omicron'. However, they said that these are preliminary figures right now.