Two months ago, South African researchers discovered the new COVID-19 variant now named Omicron. While their prompt report garnered accolades from the World Health Organization, many countries in the West, such as the U.K., U.S. and Canada, readily enacted travel bans against South Africa and other African nations. The justification behind the travel bans was to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. However, according to the WHO, “Implementing blanket travel bans, which are not effective in suppressing international spread, as clearly demonstrated by the Omicron experience, … may discourage transparent and rapid reporting of emerging [variants of concern].”