European member states (EU) have agreed to lift its air travel ban on South Africa, and other southern African countries following the restrictions that were put in place in November amidst the omicron variant panic.
The decision was announced by the EU presidency (France) on January 10.
??? Member States have agreed this morning at IPCR meeting to lift the emergency break to allow air travel to resume with southern African countries. (…) 1/2 ⤵️
— Présidence française du Conseil de l’UE ???? (@Europe2022FR) January 10, 2022
However, it noted that “travellers from this area will still be subject to the health measures applicable to travellers from third countries.”
Travel was restricted from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
This follows the European Commission’s push last month to ask member states to consider lifting the ban. Further, the CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, had penned an open letter to the head of the EU delegation pertaining to the financial implications of keeping the bans imposed.
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