The travel ban applied to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. The president initially said the restriction was “a precautionary measure until we have more information,” but within a few weeks omicron became the dominant variant in the United States.
“At the time these restrictions were put in place, it was clear that there was widespread community transmission in South Africa, as well as a great deal of cross-border travel in the region and little surveillance in many of the countries near South Africa,” a senior administration official told Fox News Friday. “We will lift these restrictions effective Friday, December 31 at 12:01 AM.”
The official said the president is lifting the travel ban because there’s more information about the omicron variant now and because omicron is so pervasive in the United States, “international travelers from these countries will not have a significant impact on US cases.”