Omicron Variant: What You Need To Know as an International Student
Omicron is a new variant of the contagion that causes COVID-19, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’ grounded on preliminary evidence that it spreads fast.
Omicron was first reported in South Africa in November 2021 and is snappily getting the dominant variant there. It has also been detected in several other countries around the world.
The Effect Of The Omicron Variants Across The World
Below are the reports of the new variant across the various study destinations we work with;
Omicron variant in Canada
As of Wednesday, 1st of December 2021, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt have joined South Africa (and six other countries) on the sanctioned ban list and we’re uncertain how long this ban will last.
The good news is, your application to Canada doesn’t end here, use this time to improve your eligibility. Contact the best study abroad agencies in Nigeria for your abroad study programs.
In addition, “all fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from departure points other than the United States will be subject to appearance testing. Completely vaccinated travellers will be needed to isolate while they await the results of their arrival test.”
As for unvaccinated travellers, they will “continue to be sampled on arrival and day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. However, those arriving by air will now be needed to stay in a designated quarantine facility or another suitable site while they await the result of their on-arrival test.”
Omicron variant in Australia
Australia had earlier announced to open its borders to international students and skilled workers on the 1st of December, the border opening has so far been delayed to the 15th of December to further ascertain how to curtail the Omicron virus.
The good news is enrolment is still in July 2022, which means your application can still be processed until a final decision is made.
Omicron variant in the UK
Sequel to this time, the United Kingdom had reinstated the mandatory use of mask-wearing in stores, banks, post offices, salons or on public transport. As an international student willing to travel this January or September 2022, you must take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until you receive a negative result.
As at the time of writing this post, the UK Government banned Nigerians and other African countries from entering the UK due to the Omicron virus, but we believe this ban is temporary as we await further directives from the UK Government on International student travels.
Omicron variant in the USA
The United States will require all international travellers – vaccinated and unvaccinated – to be tested for COVID 24hours before departure, regardless of vaccination status. As part of the requirement, you are to conduct a second check within three to five days of arrival, and possibly quarantine for seven days.
Let not the Omicron variant discourage you from applying to any of these countries as this too shall pass. Contact TGM Education, the best agencies for study abroad. You can visit any of our offices close to you (check the contact us page) or send an email to helpdesk@tgmeducation.com, and we will take it from there.
It’s time to apply for September 2022 Intake. Ready to Apply? Contact us to have a student counsellor assigned to your inquiry.
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