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S Africa dismayed at 'punishment' for honesty over Omicron variant

27 Comments
By Gersende RAMBOURG

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27 Comments

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It is not “punishment”, it is action that needs to be taken until more is known. South Africa is not alone with the restrictions placed on them.

20 ( +23 / -3 )

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

6 ( +9 / -3 )

@Tora

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

Good point. That is likely what S. Africa is pointing out.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

There are many many confirmed cases in southern africa, unlike these other places. In addition, the vaccination disparity between southern africa in the rest of the world is vast.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Right...when the delta variant was identified as coming from India, travelers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were stopped from entering any number of countries, and no one called it a "punishment"

It's called due diligence and taking proper precautions!

15 ( +18 / -3 )

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

Good point. That is likely what S. Africa is pointing out.

But the new variant that was identified in these countries were from recent travelers from southern Africa.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

Fair point. I’m not sure, has it been determined the new variant is spreading in those countries or only spread to those countries? That could play a part.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Similarly, if a person quickly finds out they're sick and contagious, the responsible thing to do, for the sake of others, is to stay at home and not spread it. South Africa is finding itself in the same situation. Doing the same thing temporarily is the right thing to do rather than it being "punishment."

11 ( +12 / -1 )

It’s not punishment for South Africa, every country is entitled to do what they deem necessary to prevent the spread of the virus within their own borders, especially as the vaccination right in Africa is very low.

Moderator, why is the description of the photo in French?

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Not punishment. What do they expect to allow free and unrestricted travel so as to spread the variant? Immediate quarantine of the infected is still one of the most effective control tools available to us, be it for individuals or countries.

Perhaps if more people in South Africa got vaccinated this would never have happened.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Maybe they should’ve kept quiet & deny deny deny - like China did

0 ( +8 / -8 )

They are a lot more honest and conscientious reporting to the world about the Omicron variant happening in their country than China that hid it.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

With around 23.8 percent of the population being fully vaccinated compared to 54 percent of the world's population,

Vaccinate your people and then talk.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

23.8% rate of vaccination among its adult population... You know, new variants just don't pop out of nowhere, unvaccinated people fuel them. So to South Africa: Vaccinate your citizens! Show the world your "excellent science" and planning skills.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I’ve read that South Africa has millions of unused and unwanted vaccines. So many that they’ve asked for future deliveries to be postponed so they aren’t wasted. They clearly have issues with convincing people to get vaccinated yet they lash out at the world and attempt to play the innocent victim card.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Whoever in SA are saying their country is being punished, needs to start thinking LOGICALLY & not EMOTIONALLY!!

And by the way, a BIG THANKS to South Africa for getting this info OUT, hopefully it will help & also help South Africa!!! Thank you for NOT being like china!!!!!

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Sorry, but stopping travel for at least a few weeks is a good idea until we understand how concerned we should be. South Africa should view it as working together. If a troubling variant pops up in the US I will gladly postpone travel for the health of the world.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It is called hysteria

or prevention,

whatever you prefer.

With the covid, à lot is based on emotional reaction, rather than any scientific reasoning and logic

0 ( +5 / -5 )

And by the way, a BIG THANKS to South Africa for getting this info OUT, hopefully it will help & also help South Africa!!! Thank you for NOT being like china!!!!!

Well said. South Africa should be praised for being more open about this.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

1.) As others have said, it is not punishment, but an attempt at due diligence.

2.) As Dr. Fauci has said, it is probably already in the USA. So, it is probably in most countries that allow international travel without quarantines.

Until this latest pandemic is under control, it might be a very good idea to insist that all international travelers undergo quarantine. The way things are today, by the time news about the latest deadly variant gets out there, it is already too late to prevent that variant from spreading, because people carrying the variant have already spread around the world to countries that allow international travel without quarantine.

By the way, only about a third of South Africans are vaccinated against Covid-19, so there is lots of room for the virus to spread and mutate in that country.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it."

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Oh nonsense, it’s not punishment. It’s respect for being open with information.

It’s a world full of whiners.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

> YubaruToday  07:44 am JST

Right...when the delta variant was identified as coming from India, travelers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were stopped from entering any number of countries, and no one called it a "punishment"

It's called due diligence and taking proper precautions!

And what good did “travel ban” from those countries do? Delta swept the world regardless, so it was useless and pointless to limit any flights from India and surrounding areas.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The world needs a scapegoat -- can't blame ourselves, after all. And when it hits the major countries and THEY become the biggest spreaders... they'll still blame South Africa. And if South Africa hadn't sounded the alarm, they'd be vilified even more. Can't win.

If Africa is where it started, then it is the fault of all the nations outside, that are rich, for not getting vaccines to them sooner. Vaccinating the world nation by nation over years will only lead to more of this. We could have had the whole world vaccinated by now and possibly the virus eradicated, but we've allowed it to evolve instead... and failed again to learn. So, maybe while we complain about not being to get boosters (ie. a third shot), or are defiant in not even getting one as loved ones die from it (or ourselves), perhaps we ought to focus on getting FIRST shots to the nations that desperately need it.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

If Africa is where it started, then it is the fault of all the nations outside, that are rich, for not getting vaccines to them sooner. Vaccinating the world nation by nation over years will only lead to more of this. We could have had the whole world vaccinated by now and possibly the virus eradicated, but we've allowed it to evolve instead.

I think the only one that is at fault for this pandemic is China, no one else’s and it was bound to happen that this virus was mutate, it just happened to be in the nation of South Africa and now that this new variant affect spread, what is China going to do about it? They have a lot to atone for and the least I could do is use all the balls that they have to help these people and try to contain this virus as much as they can pour defined astonishing in trying to eradicate it, and I don’t see that happening. no one is holding China responsible, that’s the biggest problem at all of this.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

What about Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong......

S. Africa is pointing out the double standard for majority white and asian countries ie. "privilege"!

China has been lying the entire time and not much has been done to them.

There are many many confirmed cases in southern africa, unlike these other places. In addition, the vaccination disparity between southern africa in the rest of the world is vast.

Africans like many other POC do not trust European or American countries because of the history of disenfranchisement, slavery, and genocide on African nations by these countries.

Culturally, they are hesitant to trust white people after apartheid. They are valid in feeling such a way

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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