Omicron a ‘global risk’ with or without Quiboloy

By Alex P. Vidal

“At any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation and prejudice.”—Gore Vidal

NOBODY knows Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy in Africa, where the Omicron Covid-19 variant was reportedly first detected.

Thus, it is not true that the latest Covid-19 variant that has threatened to torment people around the world in another wave of panic and fear brought by pandemic, “is a curse from God” because the United States has indicted this loquacious Bible-toter for child sex trafficking, among other criminal cases.

The more we use the name of God in vain as a defense mechanism for our foolishness, the more we reveal our true character and true mental and emotional state.

We won’t be surprised if Quiboloy will again invoke superstition and create another hilarious excuse to strike fear in the hearts of the gullible once a warrant for his arrest will be issued by the US Federal Government.

Let’s hope the blind will finally stop leading the blind and the false prophets will be prosecuted in the law of man before they are punished for their crimes in the law of the Divine Providence.

Even before Quiboloy made a noise about the “curse from heaven” if he would be “persecuted”, the World Health Organization had already said the global risk from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was “very high” based on early evidence, and it could lead to surges with “severe consequences”.

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The United States has issued new travel restrictions for eight African countries starting Nov. 29 in response to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

The Biden administration has announced it would restrict travel from the following African countries: Botswana; Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland); Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; and South Africa.

Travelers won’t be able to enter the U.S. if they’ve been in any of these countries within the previous 14 days before they attempt to enter the U.S. The order doesn’t have an end date.

The travel ban doesn’t apply to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or fall into certain categories, including: a noncitizen U.S. national; married to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; a parent, legal guardian or sibling of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is unmarried and under 21 years of age.

Forbes Advisor editor Korrena Bailie reported that those who travel from one of these countries to the U.S. will be subject to the rules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) order as outlined by the Biden Administration:

-If you’re a U.S. citizen or resident and you’re fully vaccinated (defined here by the CDC), you’ll need to provide proof of vaccination before boarding your plane. Some airlines may require proof of vaccination AND a negative Covid-19 test. You should check with your airline or departure airport to learn their policies.

-If you aren’t fully vaccinated, you’ll need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 viral test, or documentation showing you have recovered from Covid-19. This applies to any traveler aged over 2.

What counts as proof of vaccination for travel? If you’re fully vaccinated, you must provide proof of vaccination for travel. This proof must tick the following boxes:

It’s issued by an official source (e.g. the CDC);

It shows your name and date of birth;

It shows the vaccine you received, and the date(s) for all the doses you received.

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Acceptable forms of proof include: A paper vaccination certificate;

a printout of a Covid-19 vaccination record; a vaccination certificate with a QR code; a digital pass via a smartphone app (e.g. the EU’s digital Covid certificate); a digital photo of a vaccination card or record; a downloaded version of a vaccination card or record from an official source; a mobile phone app without a QR code.

Only certain vaccines are accepted for entry into the U.S. These are:

AstraZeneca; BIBP/Sinopharm; Covaxin; Covishield; Janssen/Johnson & Johnson; Moderna; Pfizer/BioNTech; Sinovac

Do they need to get a Covid-19 test before they enter the United States?

Yes. Anyone entering the United States who is aged 2 and older must get a Covid-19 test within three days of their departure, or show proof that they’ve recovered from Covid-19 within the previous 90 days.

This applies whether you’re a visitor or a U.S. citizen or resident. Your airline must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery.

The rules on testing vary depending on whether or not you’re vaccinated (reminder: If you’re visiting the U.S. and you’re not a U.S. citizen or resident, you can’t travel to the U.S. if you’re unvaccinated, with extremely limited exceptions).

If fully vaccinated, you must get tested within three days of your departure for the U.S.

If not fully vaccinated, you must get a viral test no more than ONE day before your departure to the U.S.

You must get a viral Covid-19 test (e.g. a PCR test)—a negative antibody test won’t be accepted as proof.

If you test positive for Covid-19, you won’t be able to board a flight to the U.S.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo.— Ed)