Covid: Africa travel Restrictions / Flight Suspensions over Omicron variant

[LivingTheDream]

Considering the US State Department is telling Americans to leave Ethiopia as there will be no rescue, I would not step foot on an Ethiopian flight either.

Is that more in case the government falls from the rebels?

 

[WAB]

Has it crossed anybody’s mind that the original virus came from Wuhan, and all the variants seem to be originating from countries with a major Chinese presence, including the transport of prisoners for factory labor? Also, the variants apparently are not becoming more benign, which is very atypical for a naturally occurring organism. Probably just a coincidence right?

 

[LivingTheDream]

Has it crossed anybody’s mind that the original virus came from Wuhan, and all the variants seem to be originating from countries with a major Chinese presence, including the transport of prisoners for factory labor? Also, the variants apparently are not becoming more benign, which is very atypical for a naturally occurring organism. Probably just a coincidence right?

Nope, trust the science. Nothing to see here. Don't use logic. Move along.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Some more bad news....

Qatar Airways says it is not accepting passengers on its flights from 2 African nations immediately due to the new Omicron variant

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more

africa.businessinsider.com

Can't imagine they're going to deadhead out of South Africa eight hours back to Doha.

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

A bit of South African humour.

 

[Dr Ray]

Travellers arriving from several southern African countries will have to quarantine amid warnings over a new Covid variant.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said from 12:00 GMT on Friday six countries would be added to the red list, with flights being temporarily banned.

One expert described the variant, known as B.1.1.529, as "the worst one we've seen so far", and there is concern it has the potential to evade immunity.
No cases have been confirmed in the UK.
Only 59 confirmed cases have been identified in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana so far.

What do we know about this new variant?

All flights from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini are being suspended, Mr Javid said.

He said that scientists were "deeply concerned" about the new variant but more needed to be learned about it.

But he said that what we do know is that there is a significant number of mutations, "perhaps double the number of mutations that we have seen in the Delta variant".

He added: "And that would suggest that it may well be more transmissible and the current vaccines that we have may well be less effective."
He said adding the six countries to the red list was about "being cautious and taking action and trying to protect. as best we can, our borders".
Anyone arriving from the countries after 04:00 on Sunday will have to quarantine in a hotel, with those returning before that being asked to isolate at home.
Those who have returned in the last 10 days are being asked to take a PCR test.



https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59424269

Australia has banned all flights into Australia from many countries in Southern Africa

 

[sestoppelman]

Dozens on Flight From South Africa Infected With COVID

 

[flatwater bill]

Last month (Oct of 21) 165,000 immigrants were encountered at the southern border of The US. The number of those sneaking across can only be guessed at. Tom Homan, former Director of Immigration said "migrants are not required to show proof of vaccination".
I suspect that quarantine of African entrants will not do much to stop the new Covid variant. We would have to be concerned about ALL people entering the Country.............5 months until safari time....and worried (again).......FWB

 

[CoElkHunter]

Some more bad news....

Qatar Airways says it is not accepting passengers on its flights from 2 African nations immediately due to the new Omicron variant

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more

africa.businessinsider.com

Uh oh, time to start looking at travelling there on a container ship through the Suez canal. No tests required! Ha! Ha!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Chair of South African Medical Association says Omicron cases are mild so far, but it's too soon to determine the risk of severe disease

"We really just need to hold tight to see how this plays out and what our next move is," an epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health said.

www.businessinsider.com

Well shit, anybody else surprised

 

[Tam Dl]

It seems to be a scare campaign to push vaccination boosters. They seem to have pretty quickly turned off the original story that it had major escape from the vaccine. Now they are saying that one needs to get boosted relative to this. Doesn't make much sense to me to do so if one can wait it out and see what is what first.

I am just talking about the messaging there seems to be not much reliable information as to what is really afoot.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

So this is the UK. I wonder how long it will take the US and Canada to signal virtuous solidarity.

It would be good to know how actually transmittable this variant is before hitting the media klaxons.

@Red Leg
We now have it in NSW Australia. 2 plane passengers proved positive to the new variant. The have been placed in 14 days quarantine.
The other passengers were regarded as casual contacts and are allowed to isolate at home for 72 hours until they get a negative pcr test.
I think a new shit storm is brewing despite our almost 95% vaccination rate.
We will see what happens next.
Stay tune for the next instalment of the shit hits the fan again.
Same bat time
Same bat channel
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Been 1 day since this kicked off, give it a week and anyone can imagine what the projected outcome will be. Frickin rediculous!

@BnC 04
After a week all the pollies will be shitting bricks wondering how this happened AGAIN and the media will be spreading the same alarmist bullshit AGAIN.
Live with it , die with it but let us be fed the TRUTH ABOUT IT instead of pissing in our pockets and tell us it's raining.
Like many I'm ov

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yep and Delta will the first with their hand out for yet another bailout.

@BnC 04
If they try that shit just slap the bloody hand and tell them to piss off.
Bob

 

[CopperHorns]

Travellers arriving from several southern African countries will have to quarantine amid warnings over a new Covid variant.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said from 12:00 GMT on Friday six countries would be added to the red list, with flights being temporarily banned.

One expert described the variant, known as B.1.1.529, as "the worst one we've seen so far", and there is concern it has the potential to evade immunity.
No cases have been confirmed in the UK.
Only 59 confirmed cases have been identified in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana so far.

What do we know about this new variant?

All flights from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini are being suspended, Mr Javid said.

He said that scientists were "deeply concerned" about the new variant but more needed to be learned about it.

But he said that what we do know is that there is a significant number of mutations, "perhaps double the number of mutations that we have seen in the Delta variant".

He added: "And that would suggest that it may well be more transmissible and the current vaccines that we have may well be less effective."
He said adding the six countries to the red list was about "being cautious and taking action and trying to protect. as best we can, our borders".
Anyone arriving from the countries after 04:00 on Sunday will have to quarantine in a hotel, with those returning before that being asked to isolate at home.
Those who have returned in the last 10 days are being asked to take a PCR test.



https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59424269

Just learned Qatar Airlines suspended travel from US to Zim so now I am on hold for my hunt in April!

 

[johnnyblues]

The never ending virus! If they shut down the United States economy again it will ruin us. AND we surely have the wrong A hole in office to deal with this. Flipping world has gone mad!

 

[spike.t]

shhhhhh.........

Wasn't long....

 

[Jaegger]

Just learned Qatar Airlines suspended travel from US to Zim so now I am on hold for my hunt in April!

Let’s HOPE the WHO over the coming weeks (not months) puts some solid science behind Omicron (good villain name!) ability: Yes/No to evade artificial & natural immunity, as initially proclaimed a mere 48-hrs after this new variant hit the airwaves.

Then you add in a scary Dr. @ a predominant Lab in Vienna dropped a scary statement that the new variant, might be 500% more infectious than Delta.

ODD: both WHO & scary Dr. also stated it would take a few weeks to properly test the new variant. These unwarranted presumptive statements w/o fundamental science is what causes Politicians ‘butt checks to pucker’ & in-turn knee-jerk Travel Restrictions.

WHO needs a more aggressive Voice & Play Book maybe Grow a Set to properly guide World Leaders. Self Induced: WHO lost serious face when they ‘failed the World’ back in Jan - April 2020 & accepted w/o science & while the WHO Director pandered Chinese authorities over the falsehood “COVID WAS NOT capable of human-to-human transmission!”

Big Phat Failure WHO so make it right this go-around!

 

[spike.t]

Emirates now ...not good..

EK suspends Zimbabwe, Zambia pax ops

Yesterday, November 26, Emirates announced it would temporarily suspend its passenger operations between South Africa and Dubai. Today, in an updated announcement, the airline has announced it will

www.travelnews.co.za

 

[BRICKBURN]

Holy hell, Citizens will have to be tested in an intermediary country, tested on arrival and tested on day 8 after arrival.

Please hurry up with research that says Omicron is much LESS virulent.

November 26, 2021 Ottawa
As a precautionary measure, until January 31, 2022, the Government of Canada is implementing enhanced border measures for all travellers who have been in the Southern Africa region — including South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia— within the last 14 days before arriving in Canada.
Foreign nationals who have travelled in any of these countries within the previous 14 days will not be permitted entry into Canada.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people with status under the Indian Act, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have been in these countries in the previous 14 days will be subject to enhanced testing, screening, and quarantine measures.
These individuals will be required to obtain, within 72 hours of departure, a valid negative COVID-19 molecular test in a third country before continuing their journey to Canada. Upon arrival to Canada, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, they will subject to immediate arrival testing. All travellers will also be required to complete a test on day 8 after arrival and quarantine for 14 days
All travellers will be referred to Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) officials to ensure they have a suitable quarantine plan. Those arriving by air will be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility while they await their arrival test result. They will not be permitted onward travel until their quarantine plan has been approved and they have received a negative arrival test result.
Those arriving by land may be allowed to proceed directly to their suitable isolation location. If they do not have a suitable plan — where they will not have contact with anyone they haven’t travelled with — or do not have private transportation to their place of quarantine, they will be directed to stay at a designated quarantine facility
There will be increased scrutiny of quarantine plans for travellers from these countries and rigorous monitoring to ensure travellers are complying with quarantine measures. Further, travellers, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have entered Canada from these countries in the past 14 days will be contacted and directed to be tested and to quarantine while they wait for the results of those tests. There are no exemptions specifically provided for in these new requirements.
The Government of Canada advises Canadians to avoid travelling to countries in this region and will continue to monitor the situation to inform current or future actions.
Canada continues to maintain pre-entry molecular testing for vaccinated and unvaccinated international travellers arriving from any country to reduce the risk of importation of COVID-19 including variants. PHAC has also been monitoring case data, through mandatory randomized testing upon entry into Canada.
The Government of Canada will continue to assess the evolving situation and adjust border measures as required. While the impact of all variants continues to be monitored in Canada, vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, is working to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...ress-covid-19-omicron-variant-of-concern.html