Bans from entering South Africa… South Africa: Concerns about economic isolation and discrimination
Resolving the ‘vaccine gap’ in underdeveloped countries and raising the voice of international cooperation
“We poor and disadvantaged countries cannot be locked down without financial support.”
Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Response and Innovation (CERI) in South Africa, tweeted on the 25th (local time) that a new mutation of the Corona 19 virus, ‘nu mutation,’ was reported, saying, “Please protect instead of discrimination and isolation.” appealed
Immediately after the emergence of the Nubian, countries around the world, including the UK, have locked the bars on South African countries, showing signs of an international conflict surrounding it. Although the inevitable measures of countries around the world groaning in the swamp of the 4th pandemic, there is also a lot of backlash that the isolation and economic difficulties in South Africa are exacerbated. There are also growing calls to address the ‘vaccine gap’, where vaccination rates in underdeveloped countries are remarkably low.
Director Oliveira tweeted, “Despite the possibility of experiencing discrimination from the international community, we have been transparently disclosing scientific information to protect our country and the world. We need financial, public health and scientific support to prevent the spread of the virus,” he said. Director Oliveira analyzed the leaky mutation first reported in South Africa and has been cooperating with the international community, including the World Health Organization (WHO).
Immediately after the appearance of the mutation, starting with the UK, Israel, Singapore, Japan, Germany, etc. have banned or restricted entry from South Africa one after another. The European Commission (EU) recommended member states on the 26th (local time) to suspend flights to and from South Africa. However, criticism of these measures has also been pouring in. South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, called for a reconsideration of the UK’s suspension of flights to six countries, including South Africa, immediately after the outbreak of the mutation, saying it was “a hasty decision made before the WHO made an announcement on the mutation.” WHO spokeswoman Christian Lindmeier said at a briefing on the same day that countries’ restrictions on entry into South Africa “will take several weeks to determine the contagiousness of the mutation and the efficacy of the vaccine.” .
In South Africa, the international community’s ‘blockade of South Africa’ following the emergence of the mutation is not hiding concerns that it may lead to economic damage, isolation, and discrimination. According to the BBC, the industry estimated that the UK suffered a loss of about 1.2 million pounds (1.9 billion won) in one day when South Africa was included in the entry ban. Otto de Vries, CEO of the Association of Travel Agencies in South Africa, told the BBC that it was “an unreasonable response from the British government that puts the tourism industry, including airlines, hotels and travel agencies in a difficult situation.”
The emergence of a new mutation originating from South Africa is bolstering the voice of the international community’s need for cooperation to help underdeveloped countries get out of the bog of COVID-19. A typical example is the problem of ‘vaccine polarization’, where the vaccination rate is significantly lower in developing countries while advanced countries are eager to boost vaccination (boost shot). According to ‘Our World in Data’, the percentage of South Africans who completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of the 25th was Botswana (37%), South Africa (28%), Lesotho (27%) and Zimbabwe (25%). %) and Namibia (14%), in that order, far below the global average (54%).
“This is why we’ve been emphasizing the dangers of ‘vaccine apartheid’,” Richard Russells, an infectious disease expert in South Africa, told Reuters. We have to focus on that.”
Correspondent Sora Kim sora@seoul.co.kr
