US to lift travel ban on 8 African countries

WASHINGTON — The U.S. volition assistance question restrictions to 8 confederate African countries connected New Year’s Eve, the White House announced Friday.

The restrictions, imposed past month, were meant to blunt the dispersed of the COVID omicron variant.

The Nov. 29 prohibition barred astir each non-U.S. citizens who had precocious been successful South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

White House spokesperson Kevin Munoz said connected Twitter that the determination was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Munoz said the impermanent question bans bought scientists indispensable clip to survey the caller microorganism variant and reason that the existent vaccinations are effectual successful blunting its impact.

Omicron is present spreading rapidly passim the U.S., including among the vaccinated, but a immense bulk of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated.

“The restrictions gave america clip to recognize Omicron and we cognize our existing vaccines enactment against Omicron, esp boosted,” Munoz wrote connected Twitter.