A senior European official of the World Health Organization said that the Omicron coronavirus variant is “already ubiquitous” and the travel ban will not prevent its spread. Just as the Archbishop of Canterbury called for the abolition of “travel apartheid”.
As more and more cases were detected and there was evidence that Omicron variants spread faster than Delta, 43 countries in the European region imposed travel restrictions.
But Dr. Hans Kruger, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said that the ban on inbound flights did not work and it was too late, “because Omicron is already everywhere”. “Omicron is right in front of us, and it’s still on the rise, our worries and caution are correct,” he said. At the same time, he added that vaccines, masks, ventilation and treatment are the best way to contain the coronavirus, not travel restrictions.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also supports the call to lift travel restrictions because the United Kingdom has been criticized for its red list ban on 11 African countries, adding that sharing vaccines with other countries is “the only way out of this pandemic.” way”.
writing On twitter, Welby said: “We must find a fair and effective way for those who are vaccinated and tested to enter the UK. I agree with the Nigerian High Commissioner in the UK-we cannot have “travel apartheid”.
“When new Covid variants are discovered, it is transparent to effectively punish other countries, which is also morally wrong and self-defeating.”
Kruger said that the evidence so far about Omicron is preliminary, and there is no clear evidence that the vaccine can protect people. He said: “What remains to be seen is how and whether the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, will spread more easily and become more severe.”
He said, “There are five pandemic stabilizers that can reduce mortality.” They are increasing the vaccination rate; providing boosters for the most vulnerable; doubling the rate of wearing masks indoors; ventilating crowded spaces; and adopting a “strict treatment plan for severe illness.”