Beginning Monday, travel to certain countries will be suspended due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

News 12’s Naomi Yané was at Newark Liberty International Airport when one of the last flights coming in from Johannesburg landed just before 7 a.m. The variant was first detected in South Africa.

Passengers on that flight say it was full, and they described the scene at the airport in Johannesburg as “strict” when it came to virus protocols.

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"Coming back, even before we heard about the variant, we knew we would have to take a COVID test within 72 hours before the flight," said Haleigh Guerrera. "It's important to remain calm and be positive about it. Not make any kneejerk reactions."

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The U.S. travel ban does not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The ban will apply to visitors from South Africa. It also includes travelers from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.

Several other countries have also suspended travel from those southern African nations. It's unclear when the travel ban here might be lifted.