Written by Staff Writer at CNN
Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout south-east Asia.
Bangladesh’s Advisory Circular 61.0, issued on July 20, 2018, outlines stricter measures to contain the outbreak by restricting movement of travelers. It specifies that all nationals from a specific number of countries have been barred from entering the country, from visiting the islands of Puli and Hamra, as well as from traveling on boat, by land or by air.
CNN iReport user Animesh S., from India, received a cease-and-desist letter from Bangladesh regarding the filming of a documentary.
Travel restrictions can be found here . Below is a complete list of countries within this circular.
Alert: Travel restrictions due to Omicron variant outbreak
Laos
Taiwan
Indonesia
Philippines
Sri Lanka
South Korea
Thailand
Turkey
Austria
Middle East & North Africa
Russia
Canada
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Ireland
United States
Indonesia has taken steps to restrict visitors to its islands after the Omicron variant outbreak
United States
The US Department of State advises travelers to avoid:
Boat cruise ports, including Banyuwangi on Socotra Island
Land ports, including Miri on North Sumatra Island
Cuba
It adds: “We advise Americans to avoid all travel to areas that have been identified by the CDC as areas of CDC concern.”
Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries reported death cases
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong SAR government recently introduced medical measures that involved a ban on fishing in saltwater waters. It emphasized that the ban was being put in place to “resuce the outbreak in the affected areas by reducing the number of fishes and reduce the consumption of the fish products in the affected areas.”
The department of health said it had also implemented the following measure:
On May 31, 2019, the Department of Health issued new recommendations for visitors to Hong Kong. The new recommendations apply to all visitors to Hong Kong
1. Limit seafood consumption to minimal amounts. It states that a person should drink no more than 12 ounces per day of seafood species including crab, prawns, fish and oysters.
2. Avoid raw fish consumption if experiencing diarrhoea, abdominal cramps or fever after one or more meals eaten. It does not affect people who do not suffer from diarrhoea or diarrhea.
Hong Kong has introduced new measures to protect its seas following a food outbreak
Puli-Hamra islands, Yunnan Province, China
Over 100 people died in 2010 due to an outbreak of swine flu in Yunnan Province in southeast China. The disease spread to more than a thousand people and more than 1,500 people were hospitalized, according to the Global Health Alert and Assistance System database.
Hong Kong Sveriges Riksbank released a statement urging travelers to contact their bank ahead of their travels.
Bank Hong Kong urged travelers to contact their bank for directions regarding money transfer services in case they need to avoid certain destinations. The bank advised travelers to keep contacts and travel documents in a safe and waterproof place and to return regular mail to the sender.
Philippines
In July 2018, the Philippines sought foreign assistance in the fight against the outbreak.
The Philippines is requesting help from the US, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, and China in fighting the outbreak.
“The outbreak shows that the outbreak is spreading and that the virus can persist over extended periods. The disease can also be transmitted and become lethal among travelers (up to two months for the virus), especially persons with underlying conditions,” the Philippines Department of Health says.
Sixteen more people have died from the Omicron variant, bringing the confirmed death toll to 80, according to the World Health Organization
Over 125 new cases have been reported so far, according to WHO.
Bangladesh Health Minister Ajoy Kumar Debnath on August 3 told CNN that efforts to contain the Omicron variant are underway.
After the outbreak, authorities intensified surveillance for respiratory infections and food or water-borne ailments in the affected countries. They added about 17,000 people were under surveillance and 1,600 were undergoing tests.