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The World Well being Group labeled the omicron coronavirus variant a “variant of concern” on Nov. 24, sparking worries that one other new wave of COVID-19 may land in the midst of a travel-filled and close-quartered vacation season. In response to what omicron’s “variant of concern” label means — that it could possibly be extra contagious than the extremely transmissible delta variant, or that it’d make our vaccines much less efficient towards COVID-19 — the US issued a journey ban Monday for eight nations the place omicron is circulating.
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“As a precautionary measure till we have now extra info, I’m ordering further air journey restrictions from South Africa and 7 different nations,” President Joe Biden stated on Nov. 26 when he introduced the journey ban. “As we transfer ahead, we’ll proceed to be guided by what the science and my medical crew advises.” On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention requested airways carrying passengers into the US from southern Africa to share their names and knowledge with the CDC, so state and native public well being businesses could possibly be conscious. This is what we all know thus far concerning the journey ban. Which nations does the journey ban have an effect on? Which nations have omicron? Journey is restricted to and from eight nations in southern Africa the place there are instances of COVID-19 fueled by the brand new variant. South Africa (the nation that first reported the brand new variant to the WHO), Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi are included within the ban. This implies residents or vacationers from these nations cannot fly into the US if they have been in one of many restricted nations inside the final 14 days, in line with Biden’s proclamation. Omicron has been detected in additional than 20 nations thus far, together with Canada, Germany, Netherlands and the UK. If an American is in a rustic beneath the journey ban, can they fly again? Sure, in line with remarks made by Biden on Friday. US residents and everlasting residents might journey residence with a detrimental COVID-19 take a look at.In accordance with a report by NBC, there are 5 flights per week between Newark and Johannesburg this week by United Airways, in addition to three United Airways flights per week between Dulles, in Washington DC, and Accra, Ghana. United may also restart service between Newark and Cape City on Dec. 1, NBC reported.On its web site, Delta airways stated it at the moment operates service between Johannesburg and Atlanta 3 times every week with “no deliberate changes to service at the moment.” When will the journey ban be lifted? It is unknown proper now. When he issued the ban, Biden stated he can be “guided by what the science and my medical crew advises.”Do journey bans work?Some say the US’ journey restrictions are essential to include omicron, if not too slender. Others have criticized the journey restrictions from south African nations, saying they unfairly punish a area that shortly recognized a brand new coronavirus variant and shared the info with the worldwide scientific group. “There’s little or no utility of those sorts of bans,” Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute of World Well being, informed NPR, including that the “horse has most likely left the barn.” In the end, monitoring omicron comes all the way down to our capacity to detect particular variants. Fortunately, COVID-19 instances brought on by omicron are simply detected by PCR exams, in line with the president’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, however they must be confirmed by genomic sequencing. Earlier this 12 months, the CDC was sequencing about 8,000 samples within the US per week, Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated at a briefing Tuesday. Now the CDC is testing about 80,000 samples per week, she stated — about one in seven samples which take a look at optimistic for COVID-19.
The knowledge contained on this article is for instructional and informational functions solely and isn’t meant as well being or medical recommendation. All the time seek the advice of a doctor or different certified well being supplier concerning any questions you might have a couple of medical situation or well being targets.
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