Mafruda Karim Sara

South Africa is being "punished" for identifying the new Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has said in a statement New variants have been detected in other countries. Each of those cases have had no recent links with southern Africa. It's worth noting that the reaction to those countries is starkly different to cases in southern Africa," said Dirco. The country's President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on states to “urgently” reverse “scientifically unjustified” travel bans linked to a new COVID-19 variant dubbed omicron.Dozens of countries rushed on Friday to impose new restrictions, banning travelers from number of African states from entering their borders, fearing that new variant will spark more outbreaks. The "variant of concern" as it was named by the World Health Organization (WHO) is reportedly more transmissible and more dangerous. This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker," said a statement released by the Ministry of International Relations. "Excellent science should be applauded and not punished. South African officials have entered discussions with countries that have adopted travel restrictions, hoping they will reconsider the decisions.WHO's regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, also criticized the measures.