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Google PlayMultiple nations are looking to ban travel from South Africa and nearby countries following the discovery of a potentially more transmissible COVID-19 variant.
Per the Financial Times, the UK has begun the process of implementing travel restrictions on six countries in the south of Africa, while the European Union has announced it is recommending its nations restrict travel from the region. The countries impacted so far include South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Eswatini.
The UK’s health secretary Sajid Javid, in comments made on Friday, called the recently discovered variant a “huge international concern.” He added, “Early indications show this variant may be more transmissible than the Delta variant, and current vaccines may be less effective against it.”
Singapore has also announced a ban on travel from seven African countries. “There is currently insufficient evidence to determine if this variant is associated with any change in disease severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy,” the city-state’s government said.
Per CNBC, WHO is set to hold a meeting on the new variant, currently known as B.1.1.529, on Friday. There have already been reports that the variant has been detected in Israel, Hong Kong, and Belgium, as the Guardian reported.
On Thursday, the South Africa Department of Health said the variant is highly mutated even when compared to the highly infectious Delta variant. While research to determine how it impacts vaccines and transmissibility is ongoing, it is believed the variant could contain up to 50 mutations.
In a conversation on BBC Radio 4, per the Guardian, UK-based chief medical adviser Dr. Susan Hopkins said the variant is potentially the “most worrying we’ve seen” yet.
Reuters reports that no such travel bans have been decided upon in the United States, although that could change in the near future. “There is always the possibility of doing what the UK has done, namely block travel from South Africa and related countries,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci in a CNN interview on Friday. “That’s certainly something you think about and get prepared to do. You’re prepared to do everything you need to protect the American public. But you want to make sure there’s a basis for doing that.”
