The White House indicates that it intends to lift the regional travel ban restricting travel from eight southern African countries effective December 31, 2021 at 12:01 am ET.
The regional travel ban restricting travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe was short-lived. It was initially imposed on November 29, 2021 in response to the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, and was met with widespread criticism as the variant spread in non-restricted countries. According to the White House, lifting of the ban comes at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is based on a greater understanding of how vaccines work against the Omicron variant.
Individuals traveling into the U.S. by air remain subject to the COVID-19 vaccination requirements under Proclamation 10294, as well as related CDC travel requirements, including updated COVID-19 testing requirements.
A Caution Regarding Testing
Travelers who are in the U.S. and who require a negative COVID-19 test to return to their country of origin are cautioned that the demand for testing in some areas of the U.S. has surged with the Omicron variant. Once a test is secured, it may take 5-7 days to obtain test results, particularly in connection with PCR testing, making compliance with travel testing requirements difficult. Individuals in the U.S. requiring a negative COVID-19 test to return abroad should plan accordingly.
[View source.]