US lifted travel bans for eight South African countries

US lifted travel bans for eight South African countries. 

Washington: US President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation Tuesday that rescinds an earlier order restricting travel from eight countries within southern Africa to stop the spread of the Omicron Coronavirus variant.

The highly contagious strain that is now responsible for the majority of the new cases of COVID-19 in the US was first discovered by researchers studying the disease in South Africa in late November. 

President Biden promptly responded to travel restrictions for non-US citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.