South Africa is "Punished" for Detecting New COVID-19 Variant
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The World Health Organization called on countries not to impose travel bans on southern African nations amid the spread of the new Coronavirus variant.
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Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization regional director for Africa.
The World Health Organization called on countries to refrain from imposing travel bans on southern African nations amid concerns over the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The announcement came after the US, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, announced travel bans in response to Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa.
Since then, the variant has spread to several European countries as well as Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong.
The WHO argued that only two southern African nations have detected the new strain.
"Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," the WHO said.
"If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognized by over 190 nations."
South Africa is being "punished"
On Saturday, South Africa announced it is being "punished" for detecting the new Omicron coronavirus variant, while several nations rush to implement travel bans and restrictions.
Officials stressed that despite the detection of new variants in other countries, "the reaction to those countries is starkly different to cases in southern Africa."
"This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker," the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.
South Africa, which has some of the world's top epidemiologists and scientists, was able to detect the variant early on in its life cycle.
The statement further noted that "Excellent science should be applauded and not punished," divulging that the South African authorities' immediate concern lies in "the damage that these restrictions are causing to families, the travel and tourism industries and business."
The United Kingdom previously announced that two cases of the new variant were detected in the country with a "link to travel to Southern Africa."
On November 24, the variant, known formally as B.1.1.529, was first reported to the World Health Organization, which then designated it a "variant of concern" on Friday.
