S.Africa says Reuters is being punished for early detection of COVID variants

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa said on Saturday that new COVID-19 variants were being punished for their advanced ability to detect early, as travel bans and restrictions imposed on the new Omicron variant threatened to harm tourism and other sectors of the economy.

South Africa has some of the most important epidemiologists and scientists in the world, and they have managed to detect emerging coronavirus variants and their mutations at the beginning of their life cycle. The Omicron variant was first found in South Africa and has since been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Israel and Hong Kong.

“This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and its ability to detect new variants more quickly,” the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation said.

“Excellent science should be applauded and not punished,” he said in a note.

Many nations rushed on Friday and Saturday to announce restrictions on travel to South Africa and other countries in the region.

The Foreign Ministry noted that although the new variant was also detected in other countries, the global reaction from these countries has been “very different” from the cases in southern Africa.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-we-know-about-covid-19-variant-detected-south-africa-2021-11-26 The new variant was first announced on Wednesday by South African scientists one group said they detected a variant that could prevent the body’s immune response and be more transmissible.

On Friday, the World Health Organization named it Omicron and named it as a “variant of concern” – its most serious level – saying the first evidence suggests it has again increased the risk of infection.

“Our immediate concern is that these reductions are affecting families, the travel and tourism industries and businesses,” South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

The government was in contact with countries that have imposed travel bans to persuade them to review them, he added.

On Friday, the WHO warned https://www.reuters.com/world/who-cautions-against-imposing-travel-restrictions-due-new-variant-2021-11-26 to implement travel restrictions related to countries. variant, saying that they must take “a scientific approach based on risk”.