Countries ban travel from southern Africa on various types of COVID | Coronavirus Plague News

Several countries, including the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore, have imposed travel bans when it was discovered that a a new type of coronavirus in South Africa.

Scientists have speculated that this new species – known as B.1.1.529 – could be resistant to the vaccine and could spread easily.

The Israeli health ministry said on Friday that it had found the country’s first new species of coronavirus by a visitor from Malawi. The traveler and two other suspects are thought to have been placed in solitary confinement. It said all three are vaccinated but here they are looking at how they are vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the imposition of new travel restrictions.

“WHO recommends that countries continue to use risk-taking and scientific approaches when adhering to the rules … they are being warned,” spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

The health department will take several weeks to find out how the new species spreads.

“Researchers are trying to understand more about these mutations and what they can mean by whether these changes are contagious or dangerous,” said Lindmeier, a WHO expert who conducted the conference to determine whether B.1.1.529 should be divided into different categories. interest or concern.

BioNTech is reviewing the vaccine against new challenges

Biotech company BioNTech said Friday it is studying how the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer protects it from the new strain.

“We expect more from the laboratory tests in the next two weeks. This will provide more information as to whether B.1.1.529 could be a viable option that would require a change in our vaccine if the nation were to spread globally,” a BioNTech spokesman said.

About 50 confirmed cases have been found in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. Confirmed cases in Botswana and Hong Kong were found among travelers from South Africa.

Britain announced it was banning flights from South Africa and five other southern African countries from noon (12:00 GMT) on Friday and that anyone who had just arrived from those countries would be asked to test for coronavirus and isolate them.

Fahmida Miller of Al Jazeera, who is from Johannesburg, said “southern African countries rely on tourism and trade” and the new sanctions shattered hopes ahead of the holiday season.

South Africa was recently removed from the UK red list. “There are concerns on the part of the South African government, which said the ban was urgent,” Miller said.

South Africa is in talks with British government officials to try to persuade them to reconsider their ban, the foreign ministry in Pretoria has said. “Our concern is that the ruling will hurt the tourism industry and the international community,” Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

The 27-nation EU is also considering new sanctions in the fight against the fourth plague of coronavirus.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in a statement that he “wants, in conjunction with the member states, to introduce emergency brakes to restrict flights from the southern African region.”

The Italian health ministry has announced plans to ban the entry into Italy of anyone living in seven southern African countries – South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland – in the past 14 days.

The Netherlands is preparing a similar approach.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn says flights from South Africa can only carry German nationals home, and travelers will need to be away for 14 days whether they are vaccinated or not.

Germany saw it new history daily figures in recent days and exceeded 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday.