Since the day the new Covid 19 variant Omicron has emerged in South Africa, the panic button has been pressed and the countries are under so much pressure to keep their citizens safe and protected.
The Omicron strain was introduced to the world on 24 November 2021 and since that day many countries including the US, restricted travelers from the 8 African countries to enter their borders. The restrictions applied by President Joe Biden on the countries are Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Malawi.
The CDC Ordered Airlines To Collect Data Of Travelers
Also, American citizens are not allowed to enter the country who are stuck in these countries for the prior 14 days. The restricted entry from these countries was effective from Monday and the US permanent residents who are tested negative will be allowed entry.
Tackling the new variant will be a challenge for the Federal Government, as the vaccine mandate rule got backlashes from various states and political leaders in the United States. The World Health Organization also criticized the Biden Government for not helping the poor countries by not providing them with vaccines.
The US medical agencies are working hard to understand the Omicron variant and researchers are also providing important insights about this strain. But On Wednesday morning the US health agencies got a shock and received their first Omicron variant case in California and since then there are a lot of travel restrictions being imposed now.
The CDC has given new travel orders to the airlines in the United States after detecting the only omicron variant in California and as per the latest statement, the US Centers for Disease and Control Prevention has asked all the airlines to share information about the travel history of people who recently traveled from South Africa and its seven neighboring countries. These contact details will help the medical authorities to track people easily if required.
Also, The WHO has made amendments in its travel guide and has urged unvaccinated people above 60 years must not to travel and postpone their traveling due to the omicron variant.
The Director of CDC Rochelle Walensky announced in the press conference that our team is continuously working on creating a safer environment for the citizens of the United States and we are evaluating all the pathways and plans to make international travel safer for the people in the USA.
The CDC might come up with a new travel plan by adding post-arrival testing and introducing a quarantine period to check whether travelers develop symptoms or not. Also, we are recommending people to be tested after 3 to 5 days after arrival.
The Central Government has asked all adults to get vaccinated as it is the only best way to stay protected and keep their families safer. Vaccination will allow citizens to travel safer.
Now after the 1st case people must take all the precautions like using masks, sanitization, and social distancing.
