South Africa says it is being punished for the early detection of the Ômicron variant

South Africa said Saturday it was being punished for its advanced ability to early detect new Covid-19 variants, as travel bans and restrictions imposed because of the new Ômicron variant threaten to hurt tourism and others. sectors of the economy.

South Africa has some of the world’s leading epidemiologists and scientists, who have been able to detect emerging coronavirus variants and their mutations early in their life cycle. The Ômicron variant was first discovered 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 ability to detect new variants more quickly,” said the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation.

“Excellent science should be applauded and not punished,” the agency said in a statement.

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

The Foreign Ministry noted that while the new variant was also detected in other countries, the global reaction to those countries was “totally different” from cases in southern Africa.

The new variant was first announced on Wednesday by a team of scientists in South Africa who said they had detected a variant that could evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible.

On Friday (26), the World Health Organization named it Ômicron and designated it a “concern variant” – its most serious level – saying preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection.

“Our immediate concern is the damage these restrictions are causing to families, the travel and tourism industries and businesses,” South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

The government is engaging with countries that have imposed travel bans to persuade them to reconsider, he added.

On Friday, WHO warned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to variants, saying they should take a “scientific and risk-based approach”.