The world is tightening its entry restrictions and isolating itself from South Africa. It makes more people in the country react.
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On November 24, a new virus variant was discovered in South Africa. Friday it was detected in Belgium.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the new virus variant, Omikron, as a concern variant.
– This variant has a large number of mutations, and some of them are worrying, says the World Health Organization in an announcement on Friday night, writes NTB.
The WHO also said in the announcement that preliminary documentation indicates that there is an increased risk of becoming infected again with this variant, compared with other variants of concern.
Several countries have now taken action to keep the virus variant at a safe distance. Norway introduces quarantine requirements and Italy and Germany have introduced air stops for travelers from some African countries.
The United States and Canada have also followed suit closes the borders for travelers from eight African countries. Also Denmark has tightened.
The UK was previously out, and already on Thursday they introduced entry refusals for travelers from six countries in southern Africa.
–“Unfairly punished”
South African authorities are concerned about the far-reaching impact that travel restrictions may have on tourism at a time when the economy is completely dependent on visitors from Europe, according to the newspaper Eyewitness News.
The world’s travel restrictions have created reactions from several quarters.
“While there is genuine pride here in the country’s scientific expertise, and given the speed with which South Africa has identified and shared information on new varieties, there is also a strong sense that the nation is being unfairly punished for its successes.”
It writes Afrika-korrespondent i BBC, Andrew Harding.
– The world should support South Africa and Africa and not discriminate and isolate them, says Professor Tulio de Oliveira at Twitter – where it also appears that he is director of the Center for Epidemic Response & Innovation, South Africa.
In several messages on Twitter, he pointed out that South Africa has been transparent with scientific information – and that they have done this to protect the country and the world, despite potentially massive discrimination.
– Unjustified
The Minister of Health of South Africa, Joe Phaahla, believes travel refusal is against the norms and standards of the World Health Organization.
Al Jazeera writes that he used words such as “draconian” and “counterproductive” in meetings with the press, when he criticized the countries around the world that have decided to impose travel restrictions on the country.
According to the newspaper, he also accused leaders of “finding scapegoats to deal with what is a worldwide problem”.
–He said Friday Preliminary studies suggest that the new covid variant may be more contagious, but that the decision by other countries to introduce travel restrictions is “unjustified”.
The South African Foreign Minister has stated that the decision to refuse travel was rash.
We know this about the variant
Al Jazeera writes that researchers say that the new virus variant has an unusual constellation of mutations that can make it more contagious.
The corona variant is alarming because it has very many changes in the surface protein (the tags that protrude from the corona virus). It is important for infectivity and vaccine effect.
The good news is that it is detected by the PCR test.
According to Al Jazeera, Maria Van Kerkhove, at the WHO, has said that “it will take a few weeks before we understand the impact of this variant on potential vaccines”.
Spread among students
Over time, South Africa has registered a low number of cases of infection. But in the last five or six days, the number has grown rapidly, and the new variant seems to drive the growth of infection, according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla.
The outbreak was first discovered in Pretoria. It seems to have occurred in groups among students affiliated with universities in the area, Phaahla told AP.
Mondli Gungubele, who is a minister and a close adviser to the president, urges young people to avoid large gatherings, especially where alcohol is involved, according to Times Live.
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