South African president criticises global travel bans as Omicron spreads

The president of South Africa has condemned travel bans enacted against his country and its neighbours over the new coronavirus variant Omicron

The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa stated that he was “deeply disappointed” by the action, which he described as unjustified, and called for the bans to be urgently lifted.

The UK, EU and US are among those who have imposed travel bans.

Omicron, a new strain of COVID-19, has been classed as a “variant of concern”. Early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk.

The heavily mutated variant was detected in South Africa earlier this month and formally reported to the World Health Organization last Wednesday.

The variant is responsible for most of the infections found in South Africa’s most populated province of Gauteng, over the last two weeks, and is now present in all other provinces in the country.

The World Health Organization has warned against countries hastily imposing travel restrictions, stating that they should look to a “risk-based and scientific approach”. However, numerous bans have been introduced in recent days amid concerns over the variant.

WHO’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said on Sunday: “With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity.”

“No need to panic”

Speaking to ticker NEWS, Former WHO epidemiologist, Professor Adrian Esterman says while much is still unclear about the new variant – there is no need to panic.