WHO has cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19. It says governments should take a risk-based and scientific approach.
The United Kingdom and several countries in Europe have already issued out travel bans to Southern African countries including Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
WHO is currently in meetings with health authorities and researchers from both countries on the new developments.
Christian Lindmeier explains, “WHO recommends that countries continue to apply a risk-based and scientific approach when implementing travel measures in accordance with the temporary recommendations of the ninth emergency committee. And it is important to note that every travel measure should be always weighed and that countries can do a lot already in terms of surveillance and sequencing and work together with the affected countries, or globally, to work scientifically to fight this variant and to understand more about it, so that we know how to go about. So at this point, implementing travel measures is being cautioned against, and taking a risk-based scientific approach. The more COVID-19 circulates, the more opportunities this virus has to change, mutate and develop different forms.”