CAA notifies fresh travel ban after emergence of COVID variant Omicron

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has notified a new travel advisory for Category-C countries after the emergence of a new COVID variant, Omicron, ARY NEWS reported on Sunday.

The CAA has enlisted 17 countries in the fresh travel advisory, South Africa, Hong Kong, Iraq, Namibia and Ukrane among them.

The passengers traveling from the category-c countries would require permission from the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC). “They would have to compulsorily provide evidence of full Covid-19 vaccination,” the CAA notified.

Pakistani citizens in the category-c countries can return home until December 05 without a formal permission.

A negative PCR test report, conducted 72 hours before travel, will be compulsory. Moreover, testing and quarantine rules will be applicable over the passengers on arrival to Pakistan, according to the travel advisory.

The discovery of a new coronavirus variant has triggered global alarm with a number of countries suspending travel from South Africa.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a statement said it was designating the variant, named omicron, as being “of concern”, a label only given to four variants to date.

Earlier, the NCOC chief Asad Umar had announced travel ban on seven countries after emergence of a new COVID variant, Omicron.

The United States, earlier announced to restrict travel from South Africa – where the new mutation was discovered – and neighbouring countries, effective from Monday.

Going further, Canada said it was closing its borders to those countries, following bans on flights announced by Britain, the European Union and others.