The omicron type of coronavirus is spreading more rapidly around the world. Since countries cannot be stopped at the moment, countries are closing their doors, and more than fifty countries have already imposed entry restrictions, according to the World Health Organization.
The US is also tightening pre-test controls. The decision will soon be announced by President Joe Biden. Canada also indicated that of the seven countries in the South African region, only Canadian citizens and Canadian residents will be released for the time being. Brazil no longer accepts flights to South Africa. In South Korea, austerity measures were introduced due to an unexpectedly high number of new infections overnight, and another outbreak was reported in China from a border town.
closed countries
A complete ban on re-entry has entered into force in four countries:
- China: Border controls have been significantly tightened, and only Chinese citizens and residence permits can enter. Hong Kong does not allow travelers from seven countries in the South African region which are considered particularly dangerous. Then this week, that list was expanded to include Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia. In the embarrassingly free coronavirus-free country – from Inner Mongolia – 91 new cases were reported in Hulunbir, a town near the Mongolian-Russian border.
- Japan: Borders have been closed to foreigners for a whole month, and even those coming for business talks and foreign exchange students are not allowed. Not even those with a residence permit who come from one of the 10 entry-banned South African countries. In Japan, an omicron variant was reported to be detected in a second patient.
- Israel: Foreigners are not allowed to enter the country for two weeks. Israeli citizens can go home, but everyone must go to quarantine wherever they come from and even if they have received all their vaccinations.
- Morocco: The North African country has simply shut down flights for two weeks, and has not launched or accepted flights.
partial tightening
Already since the end of last week, states have announced this tightening, and we’ve written about it here.
- In Germany The number of new infections reached 67,000 the previous day, reaching more than 67,000. This was the highest number since mid-February. Meanwhile, health authorities have warned that the number of people receiving treatment in intensive care units could reach 6,000 by Christmas. And the new German administration, which will soon take over, is seriously considering making vaccination mandatory for everyone from February, as the Austrians have already decided.
- The in the UK Although flights from South Africa were temporarily halted last week, that has been lifted, but the region has entered the so-called red zone, a list of the most affected countries. So those coming from these states have to check in at a quarantine hotel in the UK where they have to spend ten days at their own expense.
- in South Korea The trend was also reversed as more than five thousand new infections were unexpectedly discovered yesterday, and more and more hospitalized patients are in crisis. Meanwhile, it turned out that the first infected person to be found in Japan had boarded a Tokyo-bound flight a few days ago in South Korea.
- The India In the western state of Maharashtra in the western part of the country, the government has ordered a mandatory seven-day quarantine for all visitors from the so-called high-risk country. Foreigners can transfer to another flight only if they are tested for the first time at the airport and the result is negative. India’s third largest and second most populous state was the focal point of the second wave of the pandemic.
- in KSA The authorities also reported that a person with the omicron variant had been identified. No further information was provided, only that the man arrived in Riyadh from a North African country.
- in Australia Originally, from December 1, foreigners were allowed to visit the country again on an Australian visa, which has been banned since May. However, at the suggestion of Australian health authorities, the move was postponed for two weeks after the omicron variant was discovered in an infected person. Authorities are denying entry to those who have visited South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe or Seychelles in the last 14 days.
- New Zealand It even added Papua New Guinea to those banned countries.
(Cover Image: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
