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Friday, March 29, 2024

Travel doors slam shut as new Covid variant triggers alarm, stranding hundreds of passengers

By Tamara Hardingham-Gill, Laura Smith-Spark and Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Major travel destinations including the European Union, Japan, Australia, the United States and Canada have moved to block flights from African countries following the discovery of the Omicron variant, echoing previous emergency responses that triggered a global freeze on travel.

The speed with which the new restrictions were put in place — just hours after the South African health authorities announced the discovery of the variant, meant passengers have found themselves stranded without a warning. While scientists in South Africa were the first to identify the new variant, it is unclear whether it emerged there or was brought there from another country.

Despite the bans, the new variant has already been found in at least a dozen countries. Most of the cases detected have been in travelers…

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