Omicron variant: South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa don call for lifting of travel bans sake of Covid-19 variant

Cyril Ramaphosa: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision of several countries to prohibit travel”.
The British Broadcasting Corporation

South Africa president don condemn travel ban wey oda kontris dey to im own nation and dia neighbours sake of di new coronavirus variant, Omicron.

Cyril Ramaphosa say e dey “deeply disappointed” by di action, wey e describe as unjustified, and tok say make dem shaparly comot di bans.

Di UK, EU and US dey among di kontris wey don arrange travel bans.

Dem don classify Omicron as “variant of concern”. Early evidence dey suggest say e get higher re-infection risk.

Dem first detect di variant for South Africa early dis month and den dem report am to di World Health Organization (WHO) last Wednesday.

Di variant dey responsible for most of di infections wey dem find for South Africa most populated province, Gauteng, ova di last two weeks, and is now dey foa all oda provinces for di kontri.

On Monday, Japan become di latest kontri to reinstate tough border restrictions, as dem dey ban all foreigners to enta di kontri from 30 November.

Di WHO has don warn make kontris no rush to dey impose travel curbs, say make dem take “risk-based and scientific approach”.

WHO Africa director Matshidiso Moeti tok on Sunday: “Wit di detection of di Omicron variant for many regions of di world, to put place travel ban wey dey target Africa na attack on global solidarity.”

For im speech on Sunday, Oga Ramaphosa no scientific basis dey for di travel bans and say southern Africa na victim of unfair discrimination.

E follow argue say di bans no go dey effective to prevent di spread of di variant.

“Di only tin wey di prohibition go do on travel na to cause extra damage to di economies of di affected kontris…” e follow tok.

Im tell kontris wey don set bans to “sharpaly reverse dia decision… before any extra damage happen to dia economies”.

No vaccine shortages dey for South Africa, and Oga Ramaphosa say make more pipo get di injection, as na im be di best way to fight di virus.

Dem don see Omicron for some kontri like di UK, Germany, Australia and Israel.

See as tins don development since Sunday:

  • For Netherlands, dem detect Omicron for 13 pipo wey arrive from Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa.
  • For anoda side , Dutch police detain one couple wey escape from dia quarantine hotel. According to Dutch newspaper Het Parool, dem arrest di Spanish man and Portuguese woman ontop plane wey wan go Spain
  • Israel ban all foreigners to enta di kontri for 14 days from midnight Sunday
  • Di UK call for emergency meeting of G7 group of nations on Monday to discuss di new variant