Fears of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron have prompted a number of countries to impose travel bans on African countries.
Travel restrictions have been imposed on eight southern African countries after the potentially more contagious variant was first detected earlier this month in South Africa and Botswana.
The bans apply to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
The UK immediately added South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe to its red list of countries deemed high risk after omicron was detected.
The European Union announced on Nov. 26 that it will block flights from these countries.
The US, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Israel, India, Australia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Malta, Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman have also imposed similar travel restrictions.
Turkey also announced that it will restrict travel from South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe from Nov. 26.
The national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) carried out evacuation flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg on Nov. 27 for Turkish citizens in South Africa, repatriating 71 citizens in all.
Turkey has also imposed a 14-day quarantine on passengers coming from South Africa regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or had the disease in the last 180 days.
