Ecuador, Colombia extend land border closure until mid-December

Colombia and Ecuador will delay the planned reopening of their land border until Dec. 15 in response to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the presidents of both countries said. Colombia's President Ivan Duque said on Twitter the measure would strengthen the two countries' cooperation on health. Omicron's discovery has prompted many countries to place travel bans on flights from South Africa and some of its regional neighbors.

Colombia and Ecuador will delay the planned reopening of their land border until Dec. 15 in response to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the presidents of both countries said. They had planned to reopen the border, shuttered in March 2020, on Wednesday.

"This decision is a response to the epidemiological situation of the country and the necessity to safeguard the well-being of the population," the press office of Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso said late on Tuesday. Colombia's President Ivan Duque said on Twitter the measure would strengthen the two countries' cooperation on health.

Omicron's discovery has prompted many countries to place travel bans on flights from South Africa and some of its regional neighbors. Ecuador has barred the entry of air travelers from several African countries and requires other arrivals to show proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test result to enter.

Colombia has no direct flight links with Africa.

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