US to lift Omicron travel ban on eight African countries

Biden had barred nearly all non-US citizens who had recently been in the countries, over concerns about the Covid variant

The Biden administration will lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the fast-spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant, the White House said Friday.

Foreign nationals who are barred from the US because they have been in one of the eight countries within the prior 14 days will again be allowed on US-bound flights leaving after 12.01am US east coast time on 31 December, a senior official said, confirming an earlier Reuters report.