Peter Szekely & David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters), Despite the fact that the Omicron COVID-19 variant was discovered, U.S. officials are not imposing any additional screening or tracing regulations in the wake of travel restrictions from south Africa.

In an effort to reduce the spread Omicron variant in South Africa, all Americans will be prohibited from traveling to the United States starting Monday.

Travel restrictions are not intended to ban any flights and do not apply to U.S. residents or citizens. Up until Monday’s ban at 12:01 ET, South African flights continued to be carried by foreign nationals.

Passenger on an airline flight from overseas to the United States are subject to strict CDC COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements. However, they are generally not monitored after leaving the plane and do not have to undergo a COVID-19 screening upon their arrival.

Nearly all nationalities entering the U.S. have to get vaccinated, however Americans are not required to do so to go home.

United Airlines (NYSE:) & Delta Air Lines (NYSE;), the airlines flying direct to Johannesburg, said that Friday’s variant discovery has not impacted their South Africa-USA flights.

Proof of positive COVID-19 testing must be provided by fully-vaccinated travellers within three days. However, proof must also be presented by those who were not completely vaccinated within one hour.

The CDC didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment about how it enforces its regulations or if additional requirements will be issued since Omicron variant’s emergence, which prompted travel restrictions from the United States.

The CDC said that no Omicron variant cases had been identified in the United States by Friday. However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease specialist said that it is likely to be present in the United States as of Friday.

Friday, the CDC stated that the variant B.1.1.529 will be identified quickly if discovered in the United States.

United currently has five flights per week from Newark to Johannesburg. Three flights are operated by Delta from Johannesburg to Atlanta.

Dutch officials said that thirteen passengers aboard two South Africa flights that arrived in the Netherlands Friday were carrying the Omicron variant. Additional cases are currently being investigated in other countries.

The Netherlands Omicron case was one of 61 that tested positive for COVID-19, out of approximately 600 passengers who were on both flights.

KLM (the Dutch arm of Air France) spoke out saying that the flight passengers had been either negative for vaccinations or showed proof before they were allowed to board planes in Cape Town or Johannesburg.