New Covid-19 Variant Detected in South Africa Triggers Global Alarm as WHO Urges Caution
News 18Global authorities reacted with alarm on Friday to a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as researchers sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant. Hours after Britain https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-says-new-covid-19-variant-is-most-significant-yet-found-2021-11-26 banned flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries and asked travellers returning from there to quarantine, the World Health Organization cautioned against hasty travel bans. One South African scientist expert labelled London’s ban a symptom of “vaccine apartheid”, though European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU also aimed to halt air travel from the region and several other countries including India, Japan and Israel toughened curbs. “All air travel to these countries should be suspended until we have a clearer understanding about the danger posed by this new variant.” In Washington, top U.S. infectious disease official Anthony Fauci said no decision had been made on a possible U.S. travel ban. British health minister Sajid Javid said the sequence of the variant was first uploaded by Hong Kong from someone travelling from South Africa.