European and Asian countries alarmed by new Covid-19 variant, tighten borders
PBC News: European and Asian countries tightened travel restrictions on Friday (Nov 26) after a new and possibly vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant was detected in South Africa, with the EU, Britain and India among those announcing stricter border controls, reports Reuters.
Britain banned flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries and asked British travellers returning from there to quarantine, while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU also aimed to halt air travel from the region.
The variant has a spike protein that is dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that Covid-19 vaccines are based on, the UK Health Security Agency said, raising fears about how current vaccines, successful against the more familiar delta variant, will fare.
“As scientists have described, (this is) the most significant variant they’ve encountered to date,” British transport secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is to hold a meeting in Geneva at 1100 GMT (5pm, Bangladesh time). Experts will discuss the risks it presents and if it should be designated as a variant of interest or variant of concern, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said.
Nearly 100 sequences of the variant have been reported, and early analysis shows it has “a large number of mutations” requiring further study, Mr Lindmeier said.
One epidemiologuist said it may be too late to tighten travel curbs.
“I think we have to recognise that most likely this virus is already in other places. And so if we shut the door now, it’s going to be probably too late,” said Dr Ben Cowling of the University of Hong Kong.
Scientists are still learning about the variant, first identified at the start of this week, but the news pummelled financial markets, with stocks in Asia on Friday suffering their sharpest drop in three months and oil plunging more than three per cent.
“Fear has gripped the financial markets with the travel industry flying into another violent storm,” said Ms Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst with Hargreaves Lansdown.
The variant, called B.1.1.529, has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
India issued an advisory to all states to test and screen international travellers from South Africa and other “at risk” countries after easing some of its travel restrictions earlier this month. Singapore’s health ministry said it would also restrict arrivals from South Africa and countries nearby as a precaution.
Italy imposed an entry ban on people who have visited a group of southern African states, including South Africa, in the last 14 days.
