Finally, the WHO is submitting some travel restrictions due to the appearance of the new variant Omicron. “People who are unhealthy or at risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19 disease and dying should be counseled, including people aged 60 or over and those with co-morbidities (for example : heart disease, cancer and diabetes), to postpone their trip, ”wrote the World Health Organization in a technical paper. Targeted and proportionate recommendations, as the WHO requested earlier today from member states.
More generally, it calls on all travelers to “remain vigilant”, to be vaccinated and to follow public health rules regardless of their vaccination status, in particular by using protective masks, by respecting physical distancing measures and avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.
The negative impact of border closures
In its travel recommendations, the World Health Organization explains that as of November 28, “56 countries have implemented travel measures aimed at trying to delay the importation of the new variant”. But this Geneva-based organization, whose recommendations are far from always being followed by its 194 member states, warns: “General travel bans will not prevent international spread and they place a heavy burden on people. lives and livelihoods ”.
In addition, she points out, these measures “can negatively impact global health efforts during a pandemic by discouraging countries from reporting and sharing epidemiological and sequencing data.”