Sharjah24 – AFP: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday called on countries to "immediately and urgently" reverse scientifically "unjustified" travel bans linked to the discovery of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.
Dozens of nations from Europe to Asia have blacklisted South Africa and its neighbours since South African scientists flagged Omicron on November 25.
The flight bans have angered several African leaders.
"We call upon all those countries that have imposed travel bans on our country and our southern African sister countries to immediately and urgently reverse their decisions," Ramaphosa said in his first address to the nation following last week's detection of the new variant.
The World Health Organization has labelled Omicron a variant of concern, while scientists are still assessing its virulence.
A "deeply disappointed" Ramaphosa argued that the ban was "not informed by science".
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