UN Secretary-General Says Travel Bans Over Omicron Are ‘Ineffective’ And ‘Unfair’

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>New Delhi: </strong>The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that travel bans against certain countries because of the new covid-19 variant are not an effective way and are &ldquo;unfair.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While speaking at a press conference, Guterres said, &ldquo;With a virus that is truly borderless, travel restrictions that isolate any one country or region are not only deeply unfair and punitive -- they are ineffective,&rdquo; reported AFP.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last week, South Africa had reported the cases for the new variant and the World Health Organization had named it Omicron. It was categorised as the &ldquo;variant of concern&rdquo; by the WHO. Soon after South Africa, cases were reported from other countries including Botswana, Italy, Germany, the UK, Israel, etc.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Consequently, many countries upheld travel bans for travelers from African countries which had positive cases. As a response to the travel restrictions, South African officials had said that the country is being punished for their &ldquo;ability to detect new variants quicker.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;Excellent science should be applauded and not punished,&rdquo; a statement from South Africa&rsquo;s foreign ministry had said.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, Guterres reiterated that countries that reported the Omicron cases should not &ldquo;be collectively punished for identifying and sharing crucial science and health information with the world.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guterres said that the governments need to work &ldquo;together with other appropriate and truly effective measures&rdquo; to cope with the new threat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This is the only way to reduce the risk of transmission while allowing for travel and economic engagement,&rdquo; he added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the past week, many countries have detected Omicron cases among travelers, the latest being the USA. India has also isolated three travelers from &ldquo;at-risk&rdquo; countries who have tested positive for covid-19. It is not yet confirmed if they are infected with the Omicron variant.</span></p>

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