Coronavirus
Biden administration lifts travel ban on 8 southern Africa nations
"The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron," a White House assistant press secretary stated.
December 24, 2021 10:26am
Updated: December 26, 2021 8:46am
The White House will lift a temporary travel ban on eight southern African nations on New Year's Eve.
The ban, instituted on Nov. 29, applied to almost all non-U.S. citizens who had traveled recently to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.
The travel restrictions were created after the COVID-19 variant Omicron was discovered in South Africa in November.
White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed the decision, first reported by Reuters, in a tweet Friday.
He stated that the ban was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted," Munoz wrote.
