WHO says travel bans are ineffective and won’t stop Omicron

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that travel bans will not stop Omnicron.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that travel bans will not stop Omnicron and urged countries to keep using tried and tested methods.

As Omicron spreads across the world faster than the Delta variant, WHO said masks and vaccines will help control its advance.

Scientists are looking into whether the new variant causes more severe disease and whether the current vaccination will work against it.

Although Omicron will cause a wave of infection, experts still believe that vaccines should stop severe cases and deaths.

Information available on the variant is preliminary and evolving, including how effective our countermeasures are, including our vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics @hans_kluge

— WHO/Europe (@WHO_Europe) December 7, 2021

Speaking to reporters, WHO’s regional director for Europe Dr Hans Kluge said that bans on travel did not work and were too late “because Omicron is already everywhere.”

Senior emergency officer at the WHO Regional Office for Europe Dr Catherine Smallwood said 43 countries in the European region had imposed travel restrictions because of Omicron.

“Disease outbreaks are contained at their source, not at their borders,” she told the press briefing.”

“And travel bans, though they may be easily accessible in terms of political decision-making, they are not effective in preventing spread of disease. They really are not effective.”

She said travel bans and other restrictions were “unfair” and had economic consequences “but most of all they’re not effective.”

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