QA bans fliers from 5 African countries over COVID variant

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Airways (QA) has announced that it will be no longer accepting passengers travelling from five Southern African countries —...

Tribune News NetworkDohaQatar Airways (QA) has announced that it will be no longer accepting passengers travelling from five Southern African countries — Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe — with immediate effect.“Due to the recent emergence of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant, and with immediate effect, Qatar Airways will no longer be accepting passengers travelling from five Southern African countries in our global network. However, we will continue to accept passengers for travel into these countries in-line with current restrictions,” Qatar Airways said in a statement.It said passengers who are booked on Qatar Airways flights from seven destinations, Luanda (LAD), Angola; Maputo (MPM), Mozambique; Johannesburg (JNB), Capetown (CPT), Durban (DUR),South Africa; Lusaka (LUN), Zambia; and Harare (HRE), Zimbabwe, will not be accepted for travel until further notice.“These restrictions will remain in place until we receive further guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). We will continue to review the situation on a daily basis as new information becomes available,” it added.Passengers affected by changes to flights from Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe should contact their respective travel agents, it said.The airline said passengers travelling to Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will continue to be accepted on Qatar Airways flights in-line with current restrictions.