Russia Closes Entry from Nine African Countries and Hong Kong Due to Omicron

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a decree that completely bans entry into Russia from nine African countries and Hong Kong due to the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of the Omicron variant. This was reported by Izvestia.

The countries affected by this decree include Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, and the Republic of South Africa.

Since November 28, restrictions on entry for citizens of these countries have already been in place in Russia; however, at that time, exceptions were made for those holding diplomatic passports and service visas, as well as for citizens in other categories. The new decree states that the previously existing exceptions will no longer apply.