Due to the development of the newest Coronavirus (COVID-19) strain, Omicron, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has voiced great worry about the limitations put on visitors from southern African countries.
In a statement released on Monday, Guterres stated that Africans should not be blamed for the continent’s immorally low immunization rate.
He believes they should not be punished for discovering and sharing critical science and health information about the Omicron COVID-19 variation with the rest of the world.
Omicron has been identified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO), as a result of which countries around the world are banning travel from Southern Africa, where the new strain was initially discovered, and adopting other precautionary measures.
According to the WHO, finding out if there are major changes in transmissibility, severity, or consequences for COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, and therapies might take several weeks.
Canada banned travel from seven African countries on Friday due to fears of the Omicron strain spreading, although Nigeria was not one of them.
The secretary-general praised South Africa’s government, scientists, and medical community for moving quickly to detect the emergence of a new COVID-19 strain.
Low immunization rates, according to Guterres and others, are a breeding environment for variations.
All governments, the secretary-general said, should consider repeated testing for travelers, as well as other relevant and effective measures.
This, he argued, should be done with the goal of reducing the danger of transmission but yet allowing for mobility and economic activity.
NAN
