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There is much joy and jubilation for Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries which were dropped under the UK red list at the detection of the Omicron virus as the UK government announced that it is relaxing its ban against the countries effective 4am tomorrow.
Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are the countries which had been targeted by this red list, causing a major uproar from African countries.
Flights from African countries were immediately halted while a special arrangement for a very expensive flight availed, three times higher than normal cost via Ethiopian airlines which was offered for those desperate to go back to the United kingdom and were being quarantined for 10 days at a hotel for more than $2500.00
South Africa which initially detected the Omicron virus from European visitors, in Botswana but was unfortunately treated as the hot spot after a successful detection had condemend the EU and UK for such an irrational decision.
However today the UK government announced
From 4am on Wednesday 15 December, Zimbabwe will be removed from the red list. Check what you must do to travel abroad and return to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
If you plan to pass through another country to return to the UK, check the travel advice for the country you’re transiting. You must book your hotel quarantine package before you start your journey to the UK.
The Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it had spread so widely the rules no longer had much purpose.
“Now that there is community transmission of Omicron in the UK and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad,” he told Parliament.
“Whilst we will maintain our temporary testing measures for international travel we will be removing all 11 countries from the travel red list effective from 4am tomorrow morning.”
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