Nigeria’s Ire Against UK over Omicron

With the dawn of another variant of Coronavirus pandemic, known as Omicron, world’s advanced nations rally against Africa with travel ban, what is now known as apartheid against the continent, as Nigeria’s anger is stirred against UK for putting her in the red list. Chinedu Eze writes that politics, economic exploitation and racism might be behind the knee-jerk reaction and boycott of Africa over Omicron

When South Africa announced the new strain of Coronavirus pandemic on November 25, the reaction was shocking, as many countries began to ban flights from South Africa and other nations of the southern sub-region.

With that announcement countries banned flight operations to South Africa, Bostwana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe and later Canada included Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi, where air travellers are banned from coming to the North American country.

Few days after the announcement, the countries that banned flights to these African nations include: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, India and Indonesia.

Others include Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Maldives, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom and the United States.

Rejection
BBC reported that South Africa has complained it is being punished – instead of applauded – for discovering Omicron. South Africa’s Health Minister, Joe Phaahla said there was “absolutely no need to panic” over the new coronavirus variant Omicron, despite a surge in cases.

“We have been here before,” he said, referring to the Beta variant detected in South Africa last December. South Africa also condemned the travel bans imposed on the country, saying they should be lifted immediately.

However, World Health Organisation (WHO) said Omicron mutates heavily so it is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have “severe consequences” in some places.

Although no Omicron-linked deaths had yet been reported then, but WHO said further research was needed to assess its potential to resist vaccines and immunity induced by previous infections.

Anticipating increased case numbers as the variant, first reported last week, spreads, WHO urged its 194 member states to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups.

On the attitude of the world to South Africa, WHO condemned that travel ban and urged countries around the world not to impose flight ban on southern African nations due to concerns over the new Omicron COVID-19 variant.

WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.

“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID -19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moetisaid in a statement. “If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognised by over 190 nations.”

Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and informing WHO as soon as its national laboratory identified the Omicron variant.

“The speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the new variant is to be commended,” said Moeti. “WHO stands with African countries which had the courage to boldly share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of COVID-19.”

While investigations continue into the Omicron variant, WHO recommended that all countries “take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit its possible spread.”

Travel Ban not Solution
NPR has reported that studies suggest that travel ban alone do not do much in curtailing the spread of the virus or its variant. The medium noted that though scientists have little information about the new variant and aren’t certain where it originated from, several countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced almost immediate travel ban from South Africa and other southern African nations.

As at November 30, these countries have detected Omicron according to CNN: Australia: 6 cases Austria: 1 case Belgium: 1 case Botswana: 19 cases Canada: 3 cases

Czech Republic: 1 case Denmark: 2 cases France: 1 case (on Reunion Island) Germany: 4 cases
Hong Kong: 3 cases Israel: 2 cases Italy: 4 cases Japan: 1 case Netherlands: 14 cases Portugal: 13 cases South Africa: 77 cases Spain: 1 case Sweden: 1 case United Kingdom: 14 cases.

Nigeria on December 1, 2021 announced that cases Omicron variant had been confirmed in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said at first three Nigerians were identified with the Omicron variant, but as at December 6, 2021 more citizens have been identified with the variant.

Pavlovian Response
In what it refers to as Pavlovian response, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) excoriated countries that slammed travel ban on South Africa and other countries in the sub-region. Like Pavlovian conditioning, which is a reflex or knee-jack approach, IATA accused these countries of travel ban and counseled that they should have adopted a more effective ways than to ban travel to the countries of the southern sub-region of the African continent.

“After nearly two years of dealing with COVID-19, we should have progressed beyond these knee-jerk, uncoordinated, Pavlovian-like responses, to recognise that the virus is well on its way to being endemic. Public health officials tell us that we should expect variants to emerge. And by the time they are detected, the reality is that they are probably already present around the globe.

“That is what is happening now. We are already finding Omicron in parts of the world far from South Africa, where it was first identified. Travel restrictions are not going to stop the spread. And they will do real harm to people and economies,” IATA said.
In order to reinforce its position against travel ban, IATA quoted medical experts who share the same view and warned against travel ban.

“It’s really important that there are no knee jerk responses here, especially with relation to South Africa. South Africa is picking up interesting and important information for which we are doing the proper risk assessment and risk management. We have seen in the past that when there is any mention of a variant then everyone is closing borders and restricting travel. It is really important that we remain open and focused on characterising the problem, not punishing countries for doing outstanding scientific work and being open and transparent about what they are seeing and what they are finding,” said WHO Executive Director, Mike Ryan.

The African Union Vaccine Delivery Alliance C-Chair, Dr AyoadeAlakija described the action of the countries banning travel to some African countries as politics, as those countries did not equally announce travel ban to some countries outside Africa, where the new COVID-19 variant was found.

IATA also observed, “International travel all but stopped in April 2020; and the virus spread despite the assurances of our political leaders that banning travel would control it. To date, over 260 million people are known to have been infected. Many more cases are probably unreported. Meanwhile, the human and economic cost of de-connecting the world may never truly be calculated.”

In fact, there are indications that before South Africa announced the discovery of the Omicron variant, it had been found in Netherlands and possibly other European countries. CBS News reported that the Omicron variant had been in Europe before South Africa announced and made it known to the world.

“Dutch health authorities announced on Tuesday that they found the new Omicron variant of coronavirus in cases dating back as long as 11 days, indicating that it was already spreading in western Europe before the first cases were identified in southern Africa. The RIVM health institute said it found Omicron in samples dating from November 19 and 23,” CBS News reported.

UK Puts Nigeria on Red List
Nigeria was shocked last Saturday when UK put Nigeria on red list, which calls for stringent COVID-19 measures that include temporary travel ban for non-UK and Irish citizens and residents.

British High Commission, Abuja issued a statement that from Monday, November 6, 2021 only UK and Irish citizens and residents arriving from Nigeria would be allowed into the country but they must isolate for 10 days and receive two negative PCR tests, “as further precautionary action is taken against the Omicron variant.”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who addressed journalists in Abuja, described the decision of the UK government targeting Nigerian travellers as discriminatory, unfair, punitive, indefensible and unjust.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, also joined to strongly condemn what he termed “travel apartheid” being meted on some developing countries, mostly in Africa as part of their strategy to curtail the spread of Omicron variant.

This is just as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Sarafa TunjiIsola, who was on a media round in UK, aligned with the position of the Guterres in describing the action by the UK government as “travel apartheid.”

The Nigerian Senate has also called on the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from their Coronavirus (COVID-19) red list. The Senate condemned what it called the United Kingdom’s inclusion of Nigeria in the COVID-19 red list without justification.

Meanwhile, before the British government put Nigeria on the red list, Canada had already banned travellers from Nigeria, Lai Mohammed who was specially incensed against UK, argued that there were more cases of Omicron in the UK than in Nigeria and there are even more cases in many European countries but UK did not put those countries in the red list.

In fact, there were suggestions that UK intended to make so much money from the Nigerian red list, as residents and citizens who travel to Nigeria on their return to UK would pay about 2, 285.00 pounds for 10 day quarantine at government approved hotel facility.

The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs. Susan Akporiaye condemned the decision of the UK to put Nigeria in the red list and said it was totally uncalled for.

She disclosed to THISDAY that a lot of Nigerians with children resident in the UK who wanted to come to Nigeria have cancelled their travel plans along with others and regretted that the action taken by the UK would discourage vaccination because it means that vaccination is not important, as those who vaccinated and those that did not vaccinate are treated the same way.

Meanwhile, according to The Indian Express, India on Monday added Ghana and Tanzania to the list of “at risk” countries, passengers from there have to follow additional Covid-19 testing and quarantine measures.

The newspaper reported that the list now of flight comprises countries in Europe, including the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tanzania and Israel.

It is hoped that as more revelations are made about the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, whether it is lethal or mild, these countries that placed African nation’s on flight ban would expectedly lift the bans, as there are indications that Omicron is not as dangerous as Delta.