European Union member states have agreed to lift the air travel ban on southern African countries including Namibia, which will allow more travel to resume.
The decision lifts the so-called emergency brake introduced in November.
France, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a tweet, “Travelers from the region will still be subject to health measures applicable to travelers from third countries.”
European nations had suspended most air travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe as scientists scrambled to assess the severity of the omicron variant. The bloc maintained the limits even after cases continued to surge around the world, despite an outcry from the region.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) called the move discriminatory, while asserting that such a decision will worsen the aviation industry of 54 countries in the continent.
According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travel bans on travellers from virus variants haven’t yielded a meaningful outcome. Instead, CDC suggests that governments prioritise their public health and social measures.
The EU decision comes after the United Kingdom announced last week that Namibians, among other nationalities, will no longer be required to self-isolate or conduct a pre-departure COVID-19 test as a requirement for vaccinated travellers entering the United Kingdom (UK).
