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World on high alert over new variant
Updated On: 27 November, 2021 08:03 AM IST | Brussels/Geneva | Agencies
Worried West rushes to stop air travel with some African nations where B.1.1.529 has been detected
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Passengers upon their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport near Lod, as Israel reopens to vaccinated tourists on November 1. It has detected its first patient on the new variant. Pics/AFP
A slew of nations moved to stop air travel from southern Africa on Friday, and stocks plunged in Asia and Europe in reaction to news of a new, potentially more transmissible COVID-19 variant. There are fears that the new variant could be even more contagious than the current predominant one and could bypass the effectiveness of the vaccination campaigns. Israel, one of the world`s most vaccinated countries, announced on Friday that it has detected the country`s first case of the new variant in a traveller who returned from Malawi. UK announced that it was banning flights from South Africa and five other southern African countries effective Friday noon, and that anyone who had recently arrived from those countries would be asked to take a COVID test. Germany said its flight ban could be enacted as soon as Friday night. Italy also announced a ban on travellers from seven African nations.
Advisers to the World Health Organization are holding a special session Friday to flesh out information about a worrying new variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in South Africa, though a top expert says its impact on COVID-19 vaccines may not be known for weeks.
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