The herd’s reaction to turning on itself seems to have grabbed the flag. Long before the seriousness of the Omicron variant of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which was discovered less than a week ago in South Africa, became official, politicians seemed to succumb to a panic, ignoring the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO) especially Not closing borders and trusting science.
The World Health Organization said in a statement on Friday that the new variant of Covid-19, B.1.1.529, contains a large number of mutations, some of which are of concern. Highlighting the new variant, Dr Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, told the BBC that patients so far infected with the new Omicron variant had very mild symptoms.
“What we see now in South Africa, and we remember being at the epicenter, is very beautiful,” she says.
It is clear that the borders are closed on the precautionary principle. The risk of a rebound effect is real. Thus, after Great Britain imposed a “travel ban” on the countries of South Africa, and Europe proposed to cut air links with 7 countries in South Africa, America did the same, banning since Monday.
Any air link with South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Lesotho.
Other countries are considering severing ties with South Africa and its neighbours.
The Seychelles has already decided to close its borders with Morocco and Israel, as Japan has banned its territory for foreigners, and Canada, Australia and the Philippines are declaring that they are riding the same wave as India, less excessive, and announcing systematic testing of travelers from South Africa.
The European Union has adopted a protocol that divides countries in red, orange and green, from most important to safest. South Africa and its immediate neighbors are clearly in the red.
In our opinion, the discovery of this alternative in this southern part of the continent is the result of vaccine inequality, the selfishness of developed countries and the killer logic of Big Pharma who defended their patents and royalties over their products. Vaccines.
To be sure, between the underdeveloped or unvaccinated countries and the vaccinated countries where the third dose is in the spreading stage, it will not be administrative measures that will slow down the virus. Cases of the new alternative were discovered in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands as a reminder of globalized humanity of the indivisibility and arrogance of its political borders. Without coordinated action on a global scale, he will be another rebel next season. As South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “Vaccinate us, don’t discriminate against us.” If more than 65% of Europeans are vaccinated, only 1 to 3% of Africans are vaccinated. Rather than mend this divide, the wave of border closures risks exacerbating it and thus leaving people on their knees. African countries, necessarily discriminated against due to their limited resources and ineffective public policies, must strengthen the bonds for active solidarity around a genuine vaccine initiative and not an initiative of slogans. By the way, where is the vaccine program that the African Union announced so loudly?
