Fifteen Days in December: Capture and Analysis of Omicron-Related Travel Restrictions

Abstract

AbstractFollowing the identification of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in late November 2021, governments worldwide took actions intended to minimize the impact of the new variant within their borders. Despite guidance from the World Health Organization advising a risk-based approach, many rapidly implemented stringent policies focused on travel restrictions. In this paper, we capture 221 national-level travel policies issued during the three weeks following publicization of the Omicron variant. We characterize policies based upon whether they target travelers from specific countries or focus more broadly on enhanced screening, and explore differences in approaches at the regional level. We find that initial reactions almost universally focused on entry bans and flight suspensions from Southern Africa, and that policies continued to target travel from these countries even after community transmission of the Omicron variant was detected elsewhere in the world. While layered testing and quarantine requirements were implemented by some countries later in this three-week period, these enhanced screening policies were rarely the first response. The timing and conditionality of quarantine and testing requirements were not coordinated between countries or regions, creating logistical complications and burdening travelers with costs. Overall, response measures were rarely tied to specific criteria or adapted to match the unique epidemiology of the new variant.Summary boxDuring the initial three-week period following the discovery of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, nations rushed to implement travel restrictions - often at odds with guidance from the World Health Organization.By sourcing and cataloging initial national-level travel restrictions worldwide, we demonstrate how the distribution of entry bans, flight suspensions, quarantine measures, vaccination requirements, and testing protocols evolved in response to emerging information during a period of uncertainty.Countries that issued entry bans almost universally targeted the same Southern African countries and continued to do so even after widespread community transmission of the Omicron variant was reported elsewhere in the world.Layers of testing and quarantine requirements were added later during the observation period but were rarely the initial response, with the exception of restrictions issued by countries in Africa, where leading with enhanced screening measures was more common.Analysis of the disconnect between travel restrictions and transmission patterns that followed emergence of the Omicron variant provides a basis to inform evidence-based control measures for future virus mitigation efforts.