Sri Lanka bans travellers from 6 African nations due to Omicron COVID variant

FILE PHOTO: A security officer wearing protective gear stands next to passenger temperature scanning machine where she is on duty as Sri Lanka's government scheduled to reopen the country's airports for tourists from January 21, 2021, as they were closed since March 2020 due to spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka January 20, 2021. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo

Sri Lanka said on Saturday it was barring travellers from six Southern African countries on Saturday over concerns about the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

From Monday, travellers will not be allowed into the country from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini, Colombo said in a statement.

Travellers who arrived from these six countries over the past two days will have to undergo mandatory 14 days quarantine.

The World Health Organization on Friday declared the new coronavirus variant to be "of concern".

It was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on Wednesday and has been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.

(Reporting by Rupam Jain; Editing by William Mallard)