NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30- President Uhuru Kenyatta has cautioned Western Countries against locking out a few countries over the new variant of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that is not a solution.
Speaking when he made his 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a bicameral sitting of Parliament, he said it is only through the vaccination of people, that the disease that has claimed hundreds of thousands across the world will be defeated.
Already, a section of Western countries have issued travel restrictions to Souther Africa countries, over the new Omicron variant of coronavirus.
“No one will be safe until all of us are safe,” the President said.
“To our international partners, Covid will not be defeated by locking us down, shutting off parts of the world that we think are problematic. No one will be safe until we are all safe.”
US officials have since said travellers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi will be blocked, mirroring earlier moves taken by the EU.
The ban came into effect on Monday.
The European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada have also issued similar restrictions.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was deeply concerned about the isolation of southern African countries.
“I appeal to all governments to consider repeated testing for travelers, together with other appropriate and truly effective measures, with the objective of avoiding the risk of transmission so as to allow for travel and economic engagement,” Guterres said in a statement.
The Omicron variant of coronavirus carries a very high global risk of surges according to the World Health Organization.
Omicron was first identified in southern Africa and many countries, including the United States and Britain, have announced travel curbs and other restrictions on the region.
Kenya as it is in many parts of Africa has some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide due to a lack of access to doses.
UN has warned against vaccine inequality saying the regions left out will become, “a breeding ground of variants.”
“The people of Africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccinations available in Africa – and they should not be penalized for identifying and sharing crucial science and health information with the world,” Guterres said.
The Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on November 24, 2021, and has since been identified in other countries.
Scientists have said it is the most heavily mutated version yet, which means Covid vaccines, which were designed using the original strain from Wuhan, China, may not be as effective.
WHO’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said on Sunday: “With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity.”
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