Update: December 19, 2021
The US Federal Health Officials have stated that getting the boosters will help in fighting the Omicron Variant. If people are vaccinated with full doses and have also gotten boosters, they should be alright. There is a chance that even after getting full doses of vaccine, the Omicron variant can infect. However, the best thing is to get the full vaccine doses and also get the booster dose.
Update: December 18, 2021
The 7 Days Mandatory Hotel Quarantine has been postponed.
The notice regarding the compulsion of staying in 7 days hotel quarantine after coming from 67 countries has been postponed until further notice. The 7-day mandatory hotel quarantine notice was published by the Department of Migration on 17th December 2021. And just one day has passed, the decision has been ruled out until further notice. The reason for the postponement of the notice has not been disclosed yet.
Update: December 15, 2021
Pfizer says ” COVID-19 Pills have been seen to become effective against the COVID-19 Omicron Variant “. According to the latest reports, the latest pills cut the hospitalization and death risk by about 89%. Pfizer hopes that they will soon provide the pills under the name “Paxlovid” which is the combined antiviral drug from nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.
Omicron Virus Spreading Faster Than Any Other COVID-19 Variant
The WHO Director-General has warned everyone of the faster spread of the Omicron variant among all the COVID-19 variants as of now. He also added,” Most countries already have Omicron virus, but they just have not discovered it yet.” Britain is suffering from a chain of Omicron infections outcompeting the previous Delta variant. As a result, Omicron has been a matter of danger and risk for every person on earth. One thing is for sure- You should not underestimate the Omicron variant. Even if it causes lesser damage, it can shake the world’s health system like previous variants.
Update: December 14, 2021
About the COVID-19 Insurance Coverage of Airlines Travelers
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has clarified that the COVID-19 insurance policy needs to be done by the respective airlines and not by the travel agencies or the individuals.
Airlines can activate the COVID-19 insurance policy after the contract between the insurance company and the airlines. And the fact about what the policy should cover is the isolation charge of 14 days along with medical expenses up to $5000 in any cases of hospitalization.
As per the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the insurance policy aims to preserve the air travel integrity of passengers with the chances of new COVID-19 variants on the horizon.
Note: The isolation charge coverage per day may vary subject to the types of hotel stays of the respective airlines.
Update: December 1, 2021
Nepal Government has decided to stop the facility of Nepal Tourist Visa on Arrival for the passengers of nine different countries. These are the countries where the number of victims of the Omicron Virus is increasing in number. The countries include South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Isabatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.
The cabinet meeting held on November 29, 2021, has finalized the decision to restrict the passengers from the nine countries. Passengers are restricted from arriving from the countries and visiting the countries within three weeks. Just like a saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than to feel sorry.” It is a good decision considering how adverse the effects of the virus can be if it gets spread like before.
Nepal to restrict arrivals from eight African countries with Hongkong | Fear of Omicron Virus Rising in Nepal
According to reports, the decision not to allow passengers to enter Nepal from December 3, 2021, has been formulated. If any traveler is coming from the countries mentioned, he should be in hotel quarantine for 10 days and complete all the visa procedures as prescribed by CCMC.
No Visa on Arrival to International Travelers in Nepal if you are coming from these countries | Nepal Omicron Updates
The tightening of the entry to Nepal has been a must. As reports suggest, there are no facilities of visa services on-arrival. Travelers from countries like South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Isabitini, Mozambique, and Malawi can’t enter Nepal for at least three weeks. But all of it depends on the situation of the Omicron virus in the world.
Students can’t go to Australia and Japan for at least two weeks
The Australian Government also postponed the date of international students’ entry until December 15. As the number of Omicron victims increases, every country takes due steps. In addition to this, Japan also suspended all the flights to the country and has halted it until further notice.
Global Mapping of Omicron Variant | Countries with the COVID-19 Omicron Variant Cases
According to the reports, there are about 30 countries with at least one Omicron variant case in the world. The countries are confirmed cases, which we can share with you in our Nepal Omicron Updates.
- South Africa
- Ghana
- UK
- Botswana
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Germany
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Canada
- Denmark
- Italy
- Austria
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- South Korea
- Nigeria
- Israel
- Belgium,
- Spain
- Japan
- Brazil
- Norway
- India
- Czechia
- Reunion (France)
- USA
- Saudi Arabia
- Ireland
- UAE
The WHO brief has said that the possibility of the Omicron variant to spread at the global level is at a very high rate. There can be future possibilities of COVID-19 cases like before. The whole world is on high alert. According to the reports currently, there are 263,563,622 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 5,232,562 confirmed deaths, and 7864123038 vaccine doses administered. Everyone should do their part and make the chances of it to a minimum.
