travel restrictions - The African Mirror

Feb

2021

Oman bans arrivals from 8 African countries

OMAN’S supreme committee for dealing with COVID-19 said yesterday it was suspending entry for arrivals from Sudan, Lebanon, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, Guinea, Sierra Leone for 15 days from February 25, state media reported. The decision also includes arrivals from elsewhere if they have passed through any of those countries in the 14 days prior to applying to enter the sultanate. Omani citizens, diplomats, health workers and their families are exempt from the suspension, the committee said.

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Gabon tightens COVID-19 restrictions

COVID-19

GABON has restricted travel in and out of its capital city, and expanded curfew hours to limit travel and slow the spread of coronavirus infections, Interior Minister Lambert Noel Matha said yesterday. Matha told a news conference that curfew hours have been extended by two hours, now starting at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) until 0500 GMT. He said travellers in and out of Libreville and neighbouring municipalities are now required to present a negative COVID-19 test because of the rising number of cases. Coronavirus cases in Gabon are at 73% of peak and rising, according to Reuters data.…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Seychelles may fail to pay wages

COVID-19

SEYCHELLES is struggling to raise funds to pay public workers and the government plans to raise $212 million to plug its budget deficit, the finance minister has said. Seychelles' economy is heavily dependent on tourism and the sector was hit hard in 2020 by COVID-19 that led to travel restrictions worldwide to contain the virus's spread. Finance Minister Naadir Hassan was quoted as saying on the Seychelles News Agency that the government's financial situation was dire. "Since the start of the year the amount of money in the government's coffer, from which it makes all of its expenses, has been…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO says no need for major alarm over new coronavirus strain

COVID-19

EMMA FARGE and MICHAEL SHIELDS THE World Health Organization cautioned against major alarm over a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain, saying this was a normal part of a pandemic's evolution. WHO officials even put a positive light on the discovery of the new strains that prompted a slew of alarmed countries to impose travel restrictions on Britain and South Africa, saying new tools to track the virus were working. "We have to find a balance. It's very important to have transparency, it's very important to tell the public the way it is, but…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

European neighbours shut doors to Britain as new coronavirus strain spreads

WORLD

SEVERAL European countries placed new restrictions on travel to and from the United Kingdom on Sunday due to concern over a new strain of the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly there. Belgium said it would close its borders to trains and planes coming from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands also suspended flights. Italy said it was planning a similar ban. Germany could also impose restrictions on flights from the United Kingdom and South Africa - which has also detected a new coronavirus strain, a German Health Ministry official said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and scientists announced on Saturday…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Labor group seeks help for hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded by COVID

COVID-19

MATTHEW LAVIETES HUNDREDS of thousands of seafarers around the world are stranded at sea due to coronavirus travel restrictions, unable to go home or get medical care, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Tuesday, calling on nations to address their plight. Many shipping and transport workers have been at sea as long as 17 months or longer, as COVID-19-related restrictions make it almost impossible to rotate crews, the United Nations' labor agency said. The ILO adopted a resolution asking nations to take action by providing medical care to seafarers in need, waiving visa or documentation requirements and designating seafarers…