With the daybreak of one other variant of Coronavirus pandemic, referred to as Omicron, world’s superior nations rally in opposition to Africa with journey ban, what’s now referred to as apartheid in opposition to the continent, as Nigeria’s anger is stirred in opposition to UK for placing her within the crimson listing. Chinedu Eze writes that politics, financial exploitation and racism may be behind the knee-jerk response and boycott of Africa over Omicron
When South Africa introduced the brand new pressure of Coronavirus pandemic on November 25, the response was stunning, as many nations started to ban flights from South Africa and different nations of the southern sub-region.
With that announcement nations banned flight operations to South Africa, Bostwana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe and later Canada included Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi, the place air travellers are banned from coming to the North American nation.
Few days after the announcement, the nations that banned flights to those African nations embrace: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, India and Indonesia.
Others embrace Eire, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Maldives, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom and the US.
Rejection
BBC reported that South Africa has complained it’s being punished – as a substitute of applauded – for locating Omicron. South Africa’s Well being Minister, Joe Phaahla mentioned there was “completely no must panic” over the brand new coronavirus variant Omicron, regardless of a surge in circumstances.
“We’ve been right here earlier than,” he mentioned, referring to the Beta variant detected in South Africa final December. South Africa additionally condemned the journey bans imposed on the nation, saying they need to be lifted instantly.
Nonetheless, World Well being Organisation (WHO) mentioned Omicron mutates closely so it’s prone to unfold internationally and poses a really excessive threat of an infection surges that might have “extreme penalties” in some locations.
Though no Omicron-linked deaths had but been reported then, however WHO mentioned additional analysis was wanted to evaluate its potential to withstand vaccines and immunity induced by earlier infections.
Anticipating elevated case numbers because the variant, first reported final week, spreads, WHO urged its 194 member states to speed up vaccination of high-priority teams.
On the perspective of the world to South Africa, WHO condemned that journey ban and urged nations around the globe to not impose flight ban on southern African nations because of issues over the brand new Omicron COVID-19 variant.
WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, known as on nations to observe science and worldwide well being laws with a purpose to keep away from utilizing journey restrictions.
“Journey restrictions could play a task in barely lowering the unfold of COVID -19 however place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moetisaid in a press release. “If restrictions are applied, they shouldn’t be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and needs to be scientifically based mostly, in accordance with the Worldwide Well being Laws, which is a legally binding instrument of worldwide legislation recognised by over 190 nations.”
Moeti praised South Africa for following worldwide well being laws and informing WHO as quickly as its nationwide laboratory recognized the Omicron variant.
“The pace and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the brand new variant is to be recommended,” mentioned Moeti. “WHO stands with African nations which had the braveness to boldly share life-saving public well being data, serving to shield the world in opposition to the unfold of COVID-19.”
Whereas investigations proceed into the Omicron variant, WHO beneficial that each one nations “take a risk-based and scientific strategy and put in place measures which might restrict its potential unfold.”
Journey Ban not Answer
NPR has reported that research counsel that journey ban alone don’t do a lot in curbing the unfold of the virus or its variant. The medium famous that although scientists have little details about the brand new variant and are not sure the place it originated from, a number of nations, together with the US, Canada, the UK and the European Union introduced nearly fast journey ban from South Africa and different southern African nations.
As at November 30, these nations have detected Omicron in accordance with CNN: Australia: 6 circumstances Austria: 1 case Belgium: 1 case Botswana: 19 circumstances Canada: 3 circumstances
Czech Republic: 1 case Denmark: 2 circumstances France: 1 case (on Reunion Island) Germany: 4 circumstances
Hong Kong: 3 circumstances Israel: 2 circumstances Italy: 4 circumstances Japan: 1 case Netherlands: 14 circumstances Portugal: 13 circumstances South Africa: 77 circumstances Spain: 1 case Sweden: 1 case United Kingdom: 14 circumstances.
Nigeria on December 1, 2021 introduced that circumstances Omicron variant had been confirmed in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Centre for Illness Management (NCDC) mentioned at first three Nigerians had been recognized with the Omicron variant, however as at December 6, 2021 extra residents have been recognized with the variant.
Pavlovian Response
In what it refers to as Pavlovian response, the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA) excoriated nations that slammed journey ban on South Africa and different nations within the sub-region. Like Pavlovian conditioning, which is a reflex or knee-jack strategy, IATA accused these nations of journey ban and endorsed that they need to have adopted a simpler methods than to ban journey to the nations of the southern sub-region of the African continent.
“After practically two years of coping with COVID-19, we should always have progressed past these knee-jerk, uncoordinated, Pavlovian-like responses, to recognise that the virus is nicely on its technique to being endemic. Public well being officers inform us that we should always anticipate variants to emerge. And by the point they’re detected, the truth is that they’re in all probability already current across the globe.
“That’s what is occurring now. We’re already discovering Omicron in elements of the world removed from South Africa, the place it was first recognized. Journey restrictions usually are not going to cease the unfold. And they’ll do actual hurt to folks and economies,” IATA mentioned.
With a purpose to reinforce its place in opposition to journey ban, IATA quoted medical consultants who share the identical view and warned in opposition to journey ban.
“It is actually vital that there are not any knee jerk responses right here, particularly with relation to South Africa. South Africa is choosing up attention-grabbing and vital data for which we’re doing the correct threat evaluation and threat administration. We’ve seen prior to now that when there’s any point out of a variant then everyone seems to be closing borders and limiting journey. It’s actually vital that we stay open and centered on characterising the issue, not punishing nations for doing excellent scientific work and being open and clear about what they’re seeing and what they’re discovering,” mentioned WHO Govt Director, Mike Ryan.
The African Union Vaccine Supply Alliance C-Chair, Dr AyoadeAlakija described the motion of the nations banning journey to some African nations as politics, as these nations didn’t equally announce journey ban to some nations outdoors Africa, the place the brand new COVID-19 variant was discovered.
IATA additionally noticed, “Worldwide journey all however stopped in April 2020; and the virus unfold regardless of the assurances of our political leaders that banning journey would management it. To this point, over 260 million individuals are identified to have been contaminated. Many extra circumstances are in all probability unreported. In the meantime, the human and financial value of de-connecting the world could by no means really be calculated.”
The truth is, there are indications that earlier than South Africa introduced the invention of the Omicron variant, it had been present in Netherlands and presumably different European nations. CBS Information reported that the Omicron variant had been in Europe earlier than South Africa introduced and made it identified to the world.
“Dutch well being authorities introduced on Tuesday that they discovered the brand new Omicron variant of coronavirus in circumstances relationship again so long as 11 days, indicating that it was already spreading in western Europe earlier than the primary circumstances had been recognized in southern Africa. The RIVM well being institute mentioned it discovered Omicron in samples relationship from November 19 and 23,” CBS Information reported.
UK Places Nigeria on Purple Listing
Nigeria was shocked final Saturday when UK put Nigeria on crimson listing, which requires stringent COVID-19 measures that embrace momentary journey ban for non-UK and Irish residents and residents.
British Excessive Fee, Abuja issued a press release that from Monday, November 6, 2021 solely UK and Irish residents and residents arriving from Nigeria could be allowed into the nation however they have to isolate for 10 days and obtain two adverse PCR exams, “as additional precautionary motion is taken in opposition to the Omicron variant.”
The Minister of Info and Tradition, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who addressed journalists in Abuja, described the choice of the UK authorities focusing on Nigerian travellers as discriminatory, unfair, punitive, indefensible and unjust.
The Secretary Basic of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, additionally joined to strongly condemn what he termed “journey apartheid” being meted on some creating nations, largely in Africa as a part of their technique to curtail the unfold of Omicron variant.
That is simply as Nigeria’s Excessive Commissioner to the UK, Sarafa TunjiIsola, who was on a media spherical in UK, aligned with the place of the Guterres in describing the motion by the UK authorities as “journey apartheid.”
The Nigerian Senate has additionally known as on the British authorities to contemplate eradicating Nigeria from their Coronavirus (COVID-19) crimson listing. The Senate condemned what it known as the UK’s inclusion of Nigeria within the COVID-19 crimson listing with out justification.
In the meantime, earlier than the British authorities put Nigeria on the crimson listing, Canada had already banned travellers from Nigeria, Lai Mohammed who was specifically incensed in opposition to UK, argued that there have been extra circumstances of Omicron within the UK than in Nigeria and there are much more circumstances in lots of European nations however UK didn’t put these nations within the crimson listing.
The truth is, there have been strategies that UK meant to make a lot cash from the Nigerian crimson listing, as residents and residents who journey to Nigeria on their return to UK would pay about 2, 285.00 kilos for 10 day quarantine at authorities accepted lodge facility.
The President of the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigeria Journey Businesses (NANTA), Mrs. Susan Akporiaye condemned the choice of the UK to place Nigeria within the crimson listing and mentioned it was completely uncalled for.
She disclosed to THISDAY that a whole lot of Nigerians with youngsters resident within the UK who needed to come back to Nigeria have cancelled their journey plans together with others and regretted that the motion taken by the UK would discourage vaccination as a result of it implies that vaccination isn’t vital, as those that vaccinated and people who didn’t vaccinate are handled the identical means.
In the meantime, in accordance with The Indian Categorical, India on Monday added Ghana and Tanzania to the listing of “in danger” nations, passengers from there must observe extra Covid-19 testing and quarantine measures.
The newspaper reported that the listing now of flight includes nations in Europe, together with the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tanzania and Israel.
It’s hoped that as extra revelations are made in regards to the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, whether or not it’s deadly or gentle, these nations that positioned African nation’s on flight ban would expectedly carry the bans, as there are indications that Omicron isn’t as harmful as Delta.