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South Africans travelling around the world are suddenly suspected of carrying the new variant of the Covd-19 that was first detected by scientists in South Africa, even though the origin of the virus is not yet known.
The country now feels that it has been punished for being the first to detect the virus. Many countries including the U.S., Israel, UK, France, and others, have imposed restrictions on flights from South Africa as cases of Omicron rise around the world. Some countries like the Netherlands have found that most people tested positive for the Omicron virus are from South Africa. (https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/28/new-covid-variant-omicron-prompts-fresh-travel-curbs-across-the-world)
South Africa's president has condemned travel bans against his country. Cyril Ramaphosa said he was "deeply disappointed" by the action, which he described as unjustified. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59453842) "We call upon all those countries that have imposed travel bans on our country and our southern African sister countries to immediately and urgently reverse their decisions," he said on Sunday in his first address to the nation.
Even the World Health Organization (WHO) feels that flight bans on southern African nations are not "scientific".
WHO's regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti has said that travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but places "a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods." (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/travel-bans-omicron-world-health-organization-response/)
On Sunday, President Biden's chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, defended the travel restrictions imposed by the U.S., saying that it will give time for governments to prepare for an outbreak. He also said that travel bans will not prevent the virus from coming into the country. "No way that's going to happen," Fauci said. (https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/583278-fauci-defends-travel-restrictions-amid-omicron-variant-concerns)
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More travel restrictions on southern African countries:
https://www.voanews.com/a/britain-detects-two-cases-of-omicron-coronavirus-variant/6330251.html