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Los Angeles International Airport, LAX (Getty Images)
- Individuals who have traveled through or from South Africa will be denied entry to the US as of Saturday, January 30, 2021.
- The White House confirmed late Monday that the new US president, Joe Biden, had signed the corresponding order.
- Only U.S. citizens are exempt from travel restrictions, but they will still be subject to Covid-19 testing and quarantine measures.
- The ban also extends to Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European Schengen countries.
- For more articles, visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
The United States is the latest country to ban travel from South Africa, fearing the spread of a more infectious variant of the coronavirus known as 501Y.V2.
The new travel restrictions, which prohibit entry to anyone who has traveled to or from South Africa, will take effect on Saturday, January 30, 2021.
The White House on Monday night (South Africa time) confirmed that the new president of the United States, Joe Biden, had signed the corresponding order.
“With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spread, this is not the time to lift restrictions on international travel,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a news conference.
The 501Y.V2 variant, which was first detected in the Eastern Cape, is significantly more infectious than the initial virus and has already spread to at least 23 other countries.
See also | SA’s 501.V2 coronavirus variant is now found in at least 23 countries, and that’s not all bad.
The United States, which has the highest level of coronavirus infection in the world and deaths from Covid-19, has yet to detect the 501Y.V2 variant, and the newly inaugurated Biden intends to limit the importation of more threatening mutations.
Reversing a previous pardon signed by Donald Trump during the final days of his presidential term, Biden reimposed a series of strict travel bans on the advice of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Top White House adviser Anthony Fauci has also raised concerns around the 501Y.V2 variant, along with other mutations seen in the UK and, more recently, Brazil.
Fauci noted that an increase in transmissibility would ultimately lead to more deaths as a result of increased infections and hospitalizations.
The vaccines, while still effective against the newer variants, will have decreased efficacy in fighting 501Y.V2, according to Fauci.
See also | Moderna is working on a new version of her Covid-19 shot designed to fight the South African variant
The United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 other countries in the European Schengen area, which have allowed travel across open borders, will also be subject to the new US restrictions. The ban has also been extended to Brazil.
Only U.S. citizens returning from restricted countries will be exempt from the travel ban. However, returnees will be subject to mandatory coronavirus testing and quarantine protocols.
South African travelers have already been banned from entering several countries, including Vietnam, Dubai, the United Kingdom, and Israel, since the 501Y.V2 variant was named in December 2020.
The new U.S. restrictions coincide with a CDC order requiring all travelers who intend to enter the country to produce a negative coronavirus PCR test obtained within 72 hours of their scheduled arrival time. .
Even with a negative test, returning residents and those traveling from low-risk areas are advised to self-isolate for at least seven days and submit another sample for testing before venturing.
See also | SA has seen 110,000 ‘excess’ deaths, with a sharp increase among those under 60 in recent weeks.
Travelers who have tested positive for coronavirus within three months of their scheduled departure are not advised to undergo further testing, due to the prevalence of false positives and are instead required to provide “recovery documentation “As described by the CDC. This includes the original positive test result and a letter from a healthcare provider confirming the end of the isolation period.
Although international flights between South Africa and the US have been severely limited since the start of the global outbreak and even more so during the second wave of the coronavirus, there are some airlines that will have to suspend active routes due to the most recent restrictions. .
South African travelers hoping to reach the US before the ban takes effect on Saturday will have to rely on Air France, Ethiopian Airlines or Qatar Airways. These airlines offer flights from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Flying to the east coast of the US on one of these airlines will involve at least one layover and 26 hours of travel.
(Compiled by Luke Daniel)
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