Canada's Omicron travel ban disrupts residents heading home

FILE PHOTO: Passengers wait for confirmation of flights outside the Swissport Ticket Sales counter as several airlines stopped flying out of South Africa, amidst the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron, at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 28, 2021. REUTERS/ Sumaya Hisham/File Photo

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's ban on travelers from southern African countries and its refusal to recognize these countries' PCR tests, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus Omicron variant, is an obstacle for Canadians heading home and increasing international pressure to reverse the measures.

Canada, the United States, the U.K. and other countries have enacted Africa-specific travel bans even as Omicron is detected in more than 50 countries around the world.