White House Travel Ban on 8 African Countries Goes Into Effect as US Issues ‘Do Not Travel’ Advisory

Travelers queue at a check-in counter at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 27, 2021, after several countries banned flights from South Africa following the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant Omicron. Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images

Several U.S. agencies issued a “do not travel” advisory to eight southern African nationals due to the Omicron COVID-19 variant that was named last week, while on Monday morning, a previously announced federal travel ban on those countries went into effect.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently raised its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High” for South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. The Department of State also issued “Do Not Travel” advisories for the same countries.