White House lifting U.S.'s travel ban on eight countries in southern Africa
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will lift travel restrictions to eight southern African countries on New Year’s Eve, the White House announced Friday.The Also: Omicron variant blamed as Lufthansa, United and Delta cancel hundreds of flights over Christmas
White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the decision was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Munoz said the temporary travel bans bought scientists necessary time to study the new virus variant and conclude that the current vaccinations are effective in blunting its impact.
iframe.twitter-tweet { width: 100% !important; } Omicron is now spreading rapidly throughout the U.S., including among the vaccinated, but a huge majority of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated. Coronavirus Update: South Africa offers grounds for cautious optimism on omicron variant, and Israel rolls out fourth vaccine dose to vulnerable groups
“The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, [especially among the] boosted,” Munoz wrote on Twitter.
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