The organization criticized the travel ban to countries in Africa where the Omicron variant appeared.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there is no clear evidence that the Omicron variant of the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) spreads faster and causes more severe disease than other variants of Covid-19, including Delta.
“As an increasing number of countries impose flight bans on southern African countries due to concerns about the new Omicron variant, WHO urges countries to follow science and International Health Regulations.”
WHO has called for the borders not to be closed because travel restrictions may have a negative impact on livelihoods and supply chains in African countries.
According to WHO, there is no clear evidence of whether Omicron is more contagious than other variants, including Delta, and whether it spreads more easily from person to person. WHO also noted that it is not yet clear whether Omicron causes more severe disease compared to other variants of Covid-19.
Many countries, including Turkey, the UK, the USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, imposed travel restrictions on some African countries, especially the Republic of South Africa, following the detection of the Omicron variant on November 25.
