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Coronavirus: Countries shut borders over new South Africa variant

Published

4 years ago

2021/11/28

More countries are tightening their travel restrictions after a new coronavirus variant was identified in South Africa earlier this week, said a BBC dispatch yesterday.

It said that the UK, Singapore and Japan are among those rushing in stricter quarantine measures and banning flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries.

The BBC story said: The EU is proposing to ban flights from the region across the whole bloc.

Scientists still have much to learn about the variant, but say they are very worried about it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it will take a few weeks to understand the impact of the new variant, as scientists work to determine how transmissible it is.

The variant is very different to the others that have emerged so far. Scientists have said it is the most heavily mutated version yet, which means vaccines, which were designed using the original strain from Wuhan, may not be as effective.

The new variant is yet to be given a more memorable name, like Delta or Beta, and right now is known as B.1.1.529. The WHO is expected to name it on Friday, and announce whether it is a variant of concern or just a variant of interest.

The WHO says so far fewer than 100 sample sequences have been reported. Cases have mainly been confirmed in South Africa, but have also been detected in Hong Kong, Israel and Botswana.

The UK’s health minister, Sajid Javid, said on Friday that it is “highly likely” to have spread to other countries.

Most of the cases in South Africa have been from its most populated province, Gauteng, of which Johannesburg is the capital city.

Only about 24% of South Africa’s population is fully vaccinated, which could see a rapid spread of cases there, Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), told the BBC on Friday.

In Hong Kong, the variant spread during hotel quarantine between a person who had arrived from South Africa and another hotel guest who tested positive a few days later, the Department of Health revealed. Both were fully vaccinated.

Israel’s PM Naftali Bennett said on Friday it is “on the verge of a state of emergency” regarding the new variant, and that he would “act fast, strong and now”.

One case was detected in a person who returned from Malawi, according to Israeli media reports quoting the country’s health ministry. Another two suspected infections were yet to be confirmed with test results. All three are said to have been fully vaccinated.

The WHO has warned against countries hastily imposing travel restrictions, saying they should look to a “risk-based and scientific approach.”

Nevertheless, an increasing amount of nations including the UK, Japan and the Netherlands have temporarily halted flights from these southern African nations: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho.

Singapore, Italy, France and Israel are among those who have also placed Mozambique, on their red lists.

The Head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is proposing the whole of the EU put on the “emergency brake” and stop flights from the region.

The EU is already struggling to cope with fresh waves of the virus, and several countries have re-imposed lockdowns and restrictions.

The Czech Republic will ban anyone has has spent more than 12 hours in those nations from entering as of Saturday.

Germany, which is currently going through a fourth wave of infections because of the Delta variant, will allow only Germans to fly into Germany from South Africa as of Friday night, a health ministry source quoted by Reuters news agency said. Even if travellers are fully vaccinated, they will still have to spend 14 days in quarantine.

India has ordered more rigorous screening and testing for travellers arriving from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, local media is reporting.

The flight bans threaten to separate families over the festive season.

Ruth Daines-Slack, 70, had booked to fly from Cape Town to the UK next week for Christmas and her mother’s 100th birthday celebration. She told the BBC she is “beyond devastated” that she will no longer be able to make the trip, adding that the UK’s travel ban is a “knee-jerk reaction”.

The UK was one of the first nations to impose a flight ban, which South Africa’s foreign ministry has criticised as a “rushed decision” made before the WHO has made any announcement on the variant.

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Deep Depression likely to cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026)

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/10

Priyan

Warning for deep depression to the East of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 01.30 a.m. on 10 January 2026 for the period until 01.30 a.m. on 11 January 2026

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located about 50 km North-northeast of Trincomalee at 01:00 a.m. on 10 January 2026. It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026).

Latest News

Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane

Published

19 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Latest News

A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister

Published

22 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.

The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.

Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .

The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.

The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.

Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,

“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.

At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.

Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:

“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”

The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.