World News | EU Ends Omicron Travel Ban on Flights from Southern Africa
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The European Union ended travel restrictions on flights from southern Africa on Monday well over a month after imposing them to in hopes of containing the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Brussels, Jan 11 (AP) The European Union ended travel restrictions on flights from southern Africa on Monday well over a month after imposing them to in hopes of containing the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The highly contagious variant was first discovered in southern Africa in late November and the 27-nation bloc restricted travel for visitors from that region, where the variant brought on a sudden surge of infections.
Also Read | Singapore Says 30% COVID-19 Deaths in 2021 Were Fully Vaccinated.
Omicron has since become the dominant variant and is responsible in the EU and many other nations for a unprecedent increase in infections. That made the travel ban from southern Africa a moot point.
The French EU presidency announced on Monday that the 27 member states agreed “to lift the emergency break to allow air travel to resume with southern African countries.”
Also Read | Global Lightning Activity Fell Nearly 8% During COVID-19 Lockdowns in 2020.
It insisted that travellers from South Africa and neighbouring countries will still be subject to the other health measures on vaccinations and recovery from the disease that other third-nation visitors also face. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)