Omicron Covid variant travel bans: How Australia compares to the world

Australia has suspended all flights from nine southern African countries for 14 days in response to the Omicron outbreak. See what other countries are doing.

Dozens of countries have put travel bans on people from up to nine African nations in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.

Australia has suspended all flights from nine southern African countries for 14 days from November 27 “as a matter of precaution” in the wake of worldwide confirmation of the first cases of the new virus strain.

The countries include South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.

In a statement from the Australian Department of Health these additional border security measures have been put in place “as a precaution to protect Australians from the new Omicron variant of concern.”

“The Government will suspend all flights from the nine southern African countries for a period of 14 days as a matter of precaution,” the statement read.

Families reuniting at Sydney International Airport after being separated due to Covid-19 border closures. Picture: Adam Yip

The new measures also ban anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, or their immediate family including parents of citizens, and who have been in African countries where the Omicron variant has been detected and spread – within the past 14 days – from entering Australia.

Australian citizens and permanent residents, immediate family members including parents, arriving from these countries will need to go into immediate supervised quarantine for 14 days subject to jurisdictional arrangements.

Anyone who has already arrived in Australia and who has been in any of the nine countries within the past 14 days must immediately isolate themselves and get tested for Covid-19. They must follow jurisdictional quarantine requirements which will include quarantine for 14 days from the time of departure from southern Africa.

“These restrictions also apply to people, for instance international students and skilled migrants, arriving from the safe travel zones we have established with New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and Republic of Korea, who have been in any of the nine countries within the past 14 days,” the department stated.

Other countries that have restricted travel from the southern African region include:

ISRAEL

Israel has become the first country to ban the entry of visitors from all countries due to the Omicron discovery, and plans to reintroduce counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology for contact testing in order to contain the spread of the new strain.

THE UNITED STATES

From Monday travellers coming from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi will be banned from entering the US. The travel ban will not apply to American citizens or lawful permanent residents, but they will need to show a negative coronavirus test before arriving in the US.

SINGAPORE

From November 27, new restrictions have been placed on travellers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The Singapore Ministry of Health says all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into Singapore, or transit through Singapore. This restriction will apply to those who have obtained prior approval for entry into Singapore. Returning Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents will be subjected to a 10-day Stay Home Notice at dedicated facilities. These additional border restrictions will apply for four weeks in the first instance, after which we will review and extend the restrictions if necessary.

SOUTH KOREA

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that all foreigners who have been in the newly listed African countries will be refused entry to Korea. The travel restrictions apply to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Korean citizens departing from the southern African countries will be required to quarantine at a government-approved facility for 10 days upon arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.

THAILAND

From Saturday, Thailand will ban entry to people who have travelled from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

BRAZIL

Brail will shut its border to six African countries, including South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Brazil’s Health Ministry said the new Omicron variant poses a potential future threat, but that its epidemiological impact was unclear.

CANADA

Foreign nationals who have travelled through southern Africa in the past 14 days are banned from entering Canada. Those countries include South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini. All those who’ve arrived in Canada in the last 14 days will have to quarantine and get tested for the virus. They will have to stay in isolation until they receive a negative test result. Canadian citizens and permanent residents coming from those countries must take a Covid test before they return, and then to quarantine at a designated hotel until they receive a negative result. After that, they’ll be able to quarantine at home until they test negative 10 days after arrival.

JAPAN

Japanese nationals travelling from Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho will have to quarantine at government-dedicated facilities for 10 days and take Covid tests on the third, sixth and tenth days. Japan has not yet opened up to foreign nationals who are visiting for tourist purposes.

THE EUROPEAN UNION

The EU has issued an order suspending travel from South Africa and surrounding nations. Many of the 27 nations in the bloc had already done so. “All air travel to these countries should be suspended,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “And they should be suspended until we have a clear understanding about the danger posed by this new variant. And travellers returning from these regions should respect quarantine rules.”

The ban applies to the “Southern Africa region,” and includes Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Originally published as Omicron Covid variant travel bans: How Australia compares to the world