Just a few weeks after eliminating country-specific travel bans, the United States is once again introducing country-specific travel bans.
Travelers from seven countries are banned by the United States.
The United States will restrict travel from seven African countries on November 29, 2021. Travelers from South Africa, as well as travelers from other countries, will be subject to these travel restrictions.
The biggest of the tourist markets for Americans is South Africa, and there are nonstop flights between the United States and South Africa.
Delta flies to South Africa.
Non-US citizens will not be allowed to enter the United States if they come from any of the countries that have been included in the travel ban. US citizens and select other travelers will still be allowed to travel to the United States with a pre-travel testing requirement.
Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all announced similar restrictions. The United States isn't banning flights, but is just adjusting entry requirements.
The new omicron variant is a concern because it could make it more transmissible and allow it to evade immunity protection. It is not known how big of a problem this will be.
Does the new travel ban make sense?
The United States used to have travel restrictions that were country based.
When countries were added to the ban list, they weren't taken off, and the countries with the lowest number of cases had the strictest travel restrictions.
The travel restrictions only applied to non-Americans, so if Americans were to get coronaviruses back home, they wouldn't have to worry about a quark or further testing.
Foreign visitors just need to be vaccinations regardless of where they are coming from. The introduction of a country-based travel ban is changing that. I don't know if it makes sense, but I have a few thoughts.
It's counter-productive to ban travel in three days because it will cause a rush for people to fly from South Africa to the United States.
If the United States is going to start doing country-based bans again, here is to hope that it manages a bit more actively, and reflects the situation in a country at that point.
The variant is almost certainly already in the United States, we know it is in Hong Kong, but we don't know how widespread it is.
Americans can return to their homes from South Africa.
The bottom line.
The United States will be banning travel from seven African countries on November 29, 2021. Non-Americans will not be able to enter the United States if they have been in those countries.
It has been a fun three weeks in the United States without any country-based travel restrictions.
What do you think about the United States banning travel to Africa?
