The United States announced Friday, November 26, the closure of borders to travelers from eight southern African countries in response to the appearance of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
People from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi will be prohibited from arriving on US soil from Monday, a senior US official said. .
Only US nationals and permanent residents of the United States will be allowed to enter the country, he said.
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This decision, in the wake of similar measures announced in particular by European countries, comes at a time when US President Joe Biden had just reopened the borders to travelers from all over the world in early November, provided they are vaccinated against Covid, after 20 months of restrictions.
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This measure was introduced in the name of the precautionary principle, in the light of the new variant of Covid-19 which circulates in southern Africa
", explained the American official to journalists.
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Our scientists and public health officials are working quickly to learn more about this variant,
" the senior official added.
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President Biden promised to take all necessary measures to ensure the health of Americans and to defeat the pandemic, and this measure was recommended by medical experts in the US government and the team in charge of Covid-19,
" he said. he says.