Covid-19: South African health minister says travel bans unjustified

Joe Phaahla says Britain had imposed travel restrictions on his country without prior discussion

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A young woman reacts as she receives a Pfizer jab against Covid-19, in Diepsloot Township near Johannesburg. — AP

By Reuters

Published: Fri 26 Nov 2021, 9:09 PM

Last updated: Fri 26 Nov 2021, 9:43 PM

South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Friday that preliminary studies suggest a new Covid-19 variant detected in his country may be more transmissible, but the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions is “unjustified”.

Phaahla told a media briefing that South Africa was acting with transparency, and that travel bans contravened the norms and standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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He said that Britain had imposed travel restrictions on his country without prior discussion.

Britain banned flights from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia after the detection of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus in South Africa.

Reuters

Published: Fri 26 Nov 2021, 9:09 PM

Last updated: Fri 26 Nov 2021, 9:43 PM

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