The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed disappointment over restoration of travel restrictions of several countries, particularly travellers from China. IATA has urged governments to listen to experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO), that have advised against travel restrictions. Director general Willie Walsh said it is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the past three years. He said that governments must base their decisions on science facts rather than science politics. Walsh said research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. He added that they have the tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs.
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