With the new coronavirus strain Omicron now detected in several countries of the world and posing a “very high” global risk, Dr. Faheem Younus, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland has suggested three steps which can help governments avoid imposing travel curbs.

Younus in a post on Twitter said: “Implement these three steps and never impose a COVID-19 travel ban again.”

He suggested the countries make the PCR test for coronavirus mandatory 48 hours before departure to detect the Omicron variant.

Airlines should seek proof of vaccination from passengers to reduce the risk of infection.

To minimise the risk of transmission of the virus, passengers must all be told to wear KN95 masks.