Full travel ban won’t stop coronavirus, WHO says

The World Health Organization believes that the novel coronavirus infection cannot be contained by a full ban on international travel, the organization said in its advice for international traffic in relation to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, Report informs, citing TASS.

"Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," the organization said.

In addition, full travel bans "can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data," the WHO said.

Among advisable measures, the World Health Organization named "screening of passengers prior to travelling and/or upon arrival," including via the use of SARS-CoV-2 testing or the application of quarantine to international travelers. These measures, nonetheless, need to be "defined following a thorough risk assessment process." They also should be commensurate with the risk, time-limited and applied "with respect to travelers’ dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms."