Countries restrict travel from South Africa due to COVID variant Coronavirus pandemic News

Several countries, including the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore, have imposed travel restrictions a a new variant of coronavirus South Africa.

Scientists have expressed concern that the new strain — identified as B.1.1.529 — may be more resistant to vaccines and easier to spread.

The Israeli Ministry of Health said on Friday that it had detected the country’s first case of the new coronavirus variant in a passenger returning from Malawi. They have placed the passenger and two other alleged cases in isolation. All three said they have been vaccinated, but are currently studying the exact status of their vaccines.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the introduction of new travel restrictions.

“The WHO recommends that countries continue to apply a risk-based and scientific approach to the implementation of travel measures … it is warning about the implementation of travel measures,” spokesman Christian Lindmeier said in Geneva on Friday.

The health agency said it would take a few weeks to determine which new variant is transmissible.

“Researchers are working to understand more about mutations and what they mean by how transmissible or virulent this variant is,” Lindmeier said, when WHO experts began a virtual meeting to determine whether it should be classified as variant B.1.1.529. interesting or disturbing.

BioNTech evaluates vaccine against new strain

BioNTech biotechnology company said on Friday that it was studying how well the coronavirus vaccine developed with Pfizer protects against the new variant.

“We expect more laboratory test data in a maximum of two weeks. These data will provide more information on whether B.1.1.529 may be an escape variant that may require an adjustment of our vaccine if the variant is spread worldwide, ”a BioNTech spokesman said.

In total, about 50 cases have been confirmed in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. Confirmed cases in Botswana and Hong Kong were detected among South African travelers.

Britain announced on Friday at noon (12:00 GMT) that it would ban flights from South Africa and five other South African countries and ask anyone who has just arrived from those countries to have a coronavirus test and quarantine.

Fahmida Miller of Al Jazeera reported from Johannesburg that “countries in southern Africa are dependent on tourism and trade” and that new restrictions were dashing expectations ahead of the holiday season.

South Africa recently managed to get it removed from the UK red list. “There is no doubt that the South African government is concerned that this ban has been made in a hurry,” Miller said.

He will speak to British authorities in South Africa to try to reconsider the ban, the Pretoria Foreign Ministry said. “Our immediate concern is the damage this decision will cause to the tourism industries and businesses in both countries,” Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

The 27-nation bloc in the EU also said it would consider new restrictions because it faces a fourth point in the coronavirus pandemic.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that “in close coordination with Member States, it proposes activating the emergency brake to stop air travel in the southern African region.”

The Italian Ministry of Health announced measures in the last 14 days to ban the entry of seven countries in southern Africa – South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini – into Italy.

The Netherlands is planning similar measures.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said airlines returning from South Africa could only transport German citizens home and passengers would have to go into quarantine for 14 days to be vaccinated or not.

Germany has seen it new record The number of daily cases in recent days and on Thursday as a result of COVID-19 exceeded the death toll of 100,000.