The Ukrainian government said Thursday it will close borders for foreigners coming from seven African countries to prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant.

The travel ban going into effect on November 3 will backlist visitors from RSA, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, and Eswatini.

Ukrainian citizens and their family members, diplomats accredited to Ukraine and their families, as well as some authorized persons  are exempt from the travel restriction.

Ukrainians who stayed in the listed countries for up to 14 days before their travel are required to self-quarantine for 2 weeks on arrival.