Many countries in the world have partially or completely closed their borders in the past few days, since the World Health Organization announced last Friday, November 26, that the new Omicron mutant of the Corona virus is worrisome due to the large number of mutations that it has known, which makes it different from the original Corona strain that It appeared with the onset of the pandemic in December 2019.
The new mutant was detected for the first time in South Africa last Thursday, and on the next day European countries - including Belgium - announced their first infection with the new mutant, so that other countries announced injuries.
Some countries have completely closed their air borders to the countries of the world after the discovery of the new mutation, while other countries - which are the most - banned travel to and from South Africa and the rest of the countries of the southern African region, while a third category of travel ban expanded to include some non-African countries In which cases of infection with the Omicron mutant have been observed.
The decisions of the countries of the world come to ban travel despite the fact that the World Health Organization called on governments to keep the borders open, and in turn rely on a scientific approach based on “health risk assessment.”
The following is a list of a number of countries in the world that closed their air borders due to the emergence of the new mutant, and it is not a comprehensive list, but rather depends on the available information reported by international news agencies:
Morocco
banned all incoming passenger flights to it, for a period of two weeks, starting today, November 29.
Since Sunday,
Israel has
banned entry to foreigners from all over the world, except for cases approved by a government committee.
Japan
announced today the closure of its borders to all foreign visitors, with the decision to enter into force tomorrow.
Saudi Arabia has
suspended flights to and from 14 African countries since Sunday: Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar, Angola, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini (formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland). .
From Sunday until December 15, the
Philippines
prevents entry to travelers from 7 high-risk countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy.
Before that, Manila suspended flights to and from 7 African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Bahrain
Since last Friday, the Kingdom has suspended flights to and from 10 African countries: South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Kuwait
bans Kuwait since the
first Saturday to
travel to and from nine African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia and Malawi.
With the application of quarantine to Kuwaitis coming from these countries for a period of 7 days.
From Monday,
New Zealand
bans entry to foreigners from 9 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.
Indonesia,
starting today, prevents entry of foreigners from 8 African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini and Nigeria.
Since Saturday, the
Sultanate of Oman has
banned entry to foreigners from 7 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
The UAE has
banned the Gulf country since last Friday from entering foreigners from 7 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Egypt has
suspended, since last Friday, direct flights to and from the seven previously mentioned countries, namely: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
The Maldives has
prevented entry, since Sunday, for foreigners from the seven African countries mentioned previously: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
France
extended, on Sunday, the ban on entry to foreigners from the same seven African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Italy has
banned, since last Friday, entry to foreigners from the aforementioned African countries, namely: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Since last Friday,
Switzerland has
banned entry to foreigners from the previously mentioned countries, namely: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Latvia has
banned - since Saturday - flights to and from the seven African countries referred to previously: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Canada has
banned - since Saturday - the entry of foreigners from the previously mentioned African countries, namely: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique.
Since last Friday,
Qatar has
banned entry to foreigners from 6 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Since yesterday,
Pakistan has
banned travel to and from 6 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, in addition to Hong Kong.
Britain has
suspended flights to and from 6 African countries since last Thursday: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Brazil
suspended flights to 6 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, and the health authorities recommended expanding the list to include Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Sudan has
prevented the African country, since yesterday, from entering foreigners from 5 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
Angola has
suspended since Sunday all flights with its neighbors: South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.