GENEVA: The World Well being Group has urged international locations the world over to not impose journey bans on southern African international locations because of the ongoing considerations over the brand new COVID-19 variant Omicron.
Asserting that WHO stands with African nations, WHO’s regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti referred to as international locations to comply with science and worldwide well being laws so as to keep away from utilizing journey restrictions.
“@WHO stands with #African nations & requires borders to stay open. As international locations impose flight bans on southern African nations on account of considerations over the brand new #OmicronVariant, WHO urges international locations to comply with science & well being laws,” she mentioned in a tweet.
In an announcement, WHO’s regional workplace for Africa mentioned: “Journey restrictions might play a job in barely lowering the unfold of COVID-19 however place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.”
“If restrictions are carried out, they shouldn’t be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and needs to be scientifically based mostly, based on the Worldwide Well being Rules, which is a legally binding instrument of worldwide legislation acknowledged by over 190 nations,” it added.
The WHO’s assertion additional acknowledged that South Africa adopted Worldwide Well being Rules and as quickly as its nationwide laboratory recognized the Omicron variant on November 24.
“The pace and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the brand new variant is to be counseled. WHO stands with African international locations which had the braveness to boldly share life-saving public well being info, serving to defend the world towards the unfold of COVID-19,” it mentioned.
The WHO, on November 27, named the brand new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’.
This variant has numerous mutations, a few of that are regarding. The variety of circumstances of this variant seems to be growing in virtually all provinces in South Africa.
Primarily based on the proof offered indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has suggested the WHO that this variant needs to be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron, an announcement mentioned.
The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) is an impartial group of consultants that periodically screens and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and assesses if particular mutations and mixtures of mutations alter the behaviour of the virus.
In the meantime, the WHO has additionally raised alarm amongst international locations after a brand new variant of COVID-19 has been categorised in South Africa, the Swiss Federal Workplace of Public Well being (FOPH) mentioned in an announcement.
Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands had been amongst people who joined the UK in limiting flights from southern Africa.
