Russia announces total ban on nine African countries
A new Russian government ruling on COVID cancels all earlier exceptions for diplomatic passport holders, travellers on business visas, and some other categories of visitors from Hong Kong and nine African nations – Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, and South Africa. The highest number of those infected with the Omicron variant has been detected in South Africa. The new strain has since been recorded in over 50 countries.