Washington: The United States will lift travel restrictions in eight southern African countries on New Years Eve, the White House said on Friday. The restrictions, imposed last month, were aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID omicron variant. The November 29 ban banned nearly all non-U.S. Citizens who had recently visited South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.Read also – The United States issues its first passport with an “X” gender marker | Details inside

White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the move was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Munoz said the temporary travel bans gave scientists time to study the new variant of the virus and conclude that current vaccinations were effective in mitigating its impact. Also Read – Ready To Serve United States And American People: Kamala Harris After Swearing In As 49th Vice President Of The United States

Omicron is now spreading rapidly across the United States, including among the vaccinated, but a large majority of those hospitalized are not vaccinated. Read also – Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President of the United States, Kamala Harris says he is “ready to serve”

“The restrictions have given us time to understand Omicron and we know that our existing vaccines work against Omicron, especially strengthened,” Munoz wrote on Twitter.