Newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden will soon impose a travel ban, preventing most non-US citizens from entering the country if they have recently travelled to South Africa.
The ban, which will take effect from Saturday [January 30], has been introduced to contain the spread of the new COVID-19 variant that had been identified in South Africa, a senior US public health official confirmed to Reuters.
“We are adding South Africa to the restricted list because of the concerning variant present that has already spread beyond South Africa,” said Dr Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director.
The CDC is also putting various measures in place to help reduce the risk of the variants spreading and worsening the current pandemic. This includes increased mask-wearing and a negative coronavirus test for all international air travellers two years and older.
It’s not only South Africa on the ban list. On Monday, January 31, Biden will also reimpose entry bans on nearly all non-US travellers who have recently visited Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 other countries in Europe where open-border travel is allowed.
Picture: Twitter / POTUS