The World health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus to be a variant of concern, Omicron.
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This new virus has been found to have a large number of mutations. According to the WHO, the risk of re-infection is high considering the preliminary evidence.
The WHO was first informed on november 24 that the virus had been found in South Africa. The virus has since been found in Botswana, Belgium, hong kong, and Israel.
Many countries have since decided to impose restrictions on travel to or from South Africa.
Travel restrictions for African countries
Passengers from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, lesotho will not be able to enter the UK.
Immigrants will only be admitted if they are the UK or Irish citizens or residents of the UK.
US officials also visited South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Lesotho. It has said it will ban flights to Mazambik and Malawi.
Mutations or changes in the virus over time are not new or unusual. However, when this type of mutation affects the rate of infection, its lethality, and the potency of the vaccine, that variant is a cause for concern.
Japan has announced that passengers from southern Africa will have to be quarantined for 10 days and tested four times during this period.
According to local media, india has announced that passengers from South Africa, Botswana, and hong kong should be subjected to strict screening and testing.
Iran has banned travelers from six countries in southern Africa. Iranian nationals entering the area will be tested twice. And only after both these tests are negative will they be allowed to enter the country.
