WHO Warns Travel Bans Won’t Keep Omicron Cases out of Countries

Quarantine officers wait to guide travelers at the arrival hall of the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Dec. 1, 2021. Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that recently imposed travel bans on southern African countries will not prevent the spread of COVID-19 Omicron variant cases worldwide.

Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the U.N. health body, said Thursday that ultimately, travel bans that were recently implemented to target southern African countries can only buy time for other nations.