The United States will lift its travel ban imposed on Namibia and other countries in southern Africa at midnight on December 31, reversing restrictions imposed last month to combat the spread of the Omicron variant.
The United States on 29 November barred nearly all non-US citizens who had recently been in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi in an “abundance of caution” over the variant detected in South Africa.
The region’s leaders had denounced the ban as unfair, discriminatory and unnecessary.
Foreign nationals who are barred from the US because they have been in one of the eight countries within the prior 14 days will again be allowed on US-bound flights leaving after 12 midnight, 31 December.
The countries in southern Africa will now be subject to the same protocols imposed on all nations, with a requirement that foreign incoming travelers be fully vaccinated and show proof of a negative coronavirus test within one day of their trips.
The Government of Netherland also lifted its travel ban on Namibia among other countries in southern Africa with effect from the 23rd of December, although the countries will still be designated as very high-risk areas with a coronavirus variant of concern.
This comes as the United Kingdom lifted its Omicron travel ban on Namibia and 10 other southern African countries on December 15.
