Global concerns about the widespread spread of the mutant "Omicron"

Amidst fears of a wide spread of the "Omicron" mutant, several countries announced the suspension of flights coming from southern African countries, as they detected this new mutant of the Corona virus, which the World Health Organization considers "alarming."

After North American, European and Arab countries, Australia, and before that Brazil, closed its borders to those coming from southern Africa.

On Saturday, Australia banned flights from nine countries in South Africa.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said non-Australians who had visited South Africa, Zimbabwe and other countries in the past two weeks would also be denied entry to Australia.

Citizens and residents traveling from these countries will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.

For its part, the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency recommended in a statement Friday the suspension of flights from six countries in southern Africa "in view of the epidemiological impact that the new mutation can have on the global situation."

Canada and the United States announced that they would prevent travelers from southern Africa from entering their territories, while Japan would tighten restrictions with a 10-day quarantine imposed on those coming from this region.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that "the information about this new mutation makes it more clear that this epidemic will not end without vaccination globally," calling for more vaccines to be provided to poor countries.

In Europe, the Dutch health authorities announced on Saturday 61 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among travelers who came on two flights from South Africa, but they need more tests to find out if they are infected with the new mutant "Omicron".

And one infection was detected in Europe with the mutant in Belgium.

Several European countries, including Britain, France, Italy and Switzerland, banned flights from South Africa and its neighboring countries.

Russia will implement a similar decision from Sunday, and Spain from Tuesday.

And one Omicron infection was recorded in Hong Kong and two in Israel, among two people returning from Malawi and Botswana.

The European Union recommended suspending all flights from South Africa and six other countries in the region, while several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, announced that they would close their borders to travelers from the region.

These decisions and recommendations aroused the indignation of South Africa, which considered them "unjustified".

"Some of the reactions are unjustified," Health Minister Joe Vahla said at a press conference Friday evening.

"Some leaders are looking for a scapegoat to solve a global problem," he added.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday and "discussed the challenges posed by the new mutation of Covid-19 globally, and ways to work together to deal with and reopen international travel," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

And no new mutant has caused so much concern around the world, since the emergence of the Delta mutant.

The travel ban would have disastrous consequences for South Africa just before the southern summer when wildlife parks and hotels are usually full.

The tourism sector was just beginning to hope for a normal season.

"Our immediate concern is the damage this decision will do to the tourism and business sectors," South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

After an emergency meeting Friday, the 164 members of the World Trade Organization agreed to postpone the twelfth ministerial conference “indefinitely” in the wake of the spread of the Omicron mutator “which prompted many governments to impose severe travel restrictions, which will prevent many ministers from going to Geneva, according to the organization.

"This does not mean that negotiations should stop. On the contrary," said WHO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Scientists are already trying to understand these new mutations.

Moderna Laboratories announced that it plans to "develop a vaccine" against Omicron.

On Friday, a WHO spokesman said it would take "several weeks" to understand the virus's ability to spread and its severity.

For its part, the European Medicines Agency said that it was "too early" to plan to adapt vaccines to the Omicron mutant.

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