Japan is urging airlines to stop selling tickets to the country due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Transport announced, according to media company NHK.

On Wednesday, the country also began offering extra doses of vaccine to healthcare workers since the virus variant was discovered.

And the US may soon introduce stricter testing requirements for international travelers, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, due to the spread of the omicron variant.

The federal CDC announced on Tuesday that it is working on a requirement that all air travelers arriving in the United States be tested no more than 24 hours before travel. Currently, fully vaccinated people are tested no more than three days before departure.

”CDC is evaluating ways to make international travel as safe as possible, including through more frequent testing prior to departure and consideration of additional testing after arrival and self-isolation,” said agency director Rochelle Walensky.

The United States opened its borders to fully vaccinated people from most countries on November 8.

Source: TT