Biden confirms end to Omicron travel limit for African nations | Coronavirus pandemic News

The U.S. president says the cuts are “no longer necessary,” as the new COVID-19 variant becomes a major strain.

US President Joe Biden last month ordered an end to travel restrictions in eight South African countries to slow the spread. Omicron coronavirus variant, saying honestly that “they are no longer needed to protect public health.”

Biden on Tuesday called for the lifting of restrictions on travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi to the United States.

The ban will be lifted on Friday at 12:01 am (05:01 GMT).

Road administration he announced it plans to undo travel restrictions by the end of last week, as health officials announced that Omicron had become the main strain of the country’s virus.

“Importantly, scientific experts have determined that people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are protected from serious illnesses and hospitalizations of the Omicron variant,” Biden said in a decree Tuesday.

“In addition, the Omicron variant has now spread to more than 100 countries and is predominant in the United States.”

It was imposed by the US and many countries around the world travel bans In the southern African nations, the Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa in late November.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the strain Omicron “a variant of concern”On November 26th.

WHO says early in the month “consistent evidence”Omicron is expanding“ significantly faster ”than its predecessor Delta variant. “And it is likely to infect or re-infect people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

But researchers South Africa and United Kingdom they said their research suggests it could lead to new variants so serious lower risk of hospitalization than Delta disease and strains.

Moe he warned Following the identification of the Omicron variant against travel restrictions, it says these measures pose challenges to global anti-virus cooperation.

In early December, Tedros advised not to “ban general travel bans,” which he said “puts a heavy burden on life and livelihood.”

In the US, the Omicron variant has expanded rapidly despite travel restrictions.

On tuesday new data The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Omicron had 58.6 percent of new COVID-19 infections last week.

Infections have risen in the U.S., and states including New York and Maine have recorded a record number of new infections in the past seven days.

On Monday, the CDC summarized its quarantine recommendations for asymptomatic patients who are positive for COVID-19. 10 to five days.

“These updates ensure that people can safely continue their daily lives,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, promote it, use a mask in high-intensity public areas in public indoor environments, and do it before the test is collected.”