The White House Lifts Travel Ban on Southern Africa

The US is lifting travel restrictions on eight southern African countries, effective Friday. These restrictions were initially imposed due to the spread of the Omicron variant, which was first discovered in southern Africa. Omicron now accounts for over half of the new COVID-19 cases in the US and has been detected in more than 100 countries worldwide.

What countries were affected by the travel restrictions mentioned in the text?

When were the travel restrictions lifted according to the text?

What was the reason for imposing travel restrictions on the mentioned countries?

What variant of the virus is discussed in the text and what impact has it had in the US?

How many countries have reported the Omicron variant according to the text?