Countries are blocking travel after South African health officials say a new variant is gaining the upper hand among recently diagnosed diseases.
South Africa is becoming increasingly isolated as more countries ban travel when a new strain of the coronavirus is discovered.
Israel, Turkey, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland are among countries that have suspended air travel to and from South Africa following the news that a new version of the COVID-19 virus is leading a resurgence the disease in South Africa, with higher numbers of cases diagnosed, hospitals and deaths.
According to health officials and scientists leading the country’s virus strategy, the new strain, known as 501.V2, is among the most recently diagnosed diseases in Africa’s mainstream wave. -Right.
The new strain, different from the UK one, appears to be more contagious than the original virus.
South African scientists are investigating whether the COVID-19 vaccines will also protect against the new snoring.
Police were heavily present at Durban beaches to ensure compliance with coronavirus social speed regulations [File: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images]
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government’s COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, said in a press release on Monday that preliminary data suggested the new snoring was taking control of the wave latest in South Africa, which is spreading faster than the first.
In response to the revival of COVID-19, the South African government introduced stricter locking restrictions, which included limited days and hours for alcohol trade and beach closures in designated areas. as hot spots.
Nevertheless, Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa, reporting from Johannesburg, said the country was “festive”.
“You see people going to the beaches, at their parties. Some wear masks, but others do not, ”she said, adding that a ban on flying was a blow to the tourism sector.
“The South African tourism industry has been heavily reliant on this time of year for people from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world.
Now these businesses are feeling pressure. Many hotels in Durban are closed. In Johannesburg, many of the major hotel chains are also closed. Many people are losing out on work. “
There are currently more than 8,500 people in South Africa with COVID-19, surpassing the high of 8,300 recorded in August.
To date 930,711 virus cases have been reported in South Africa, including 24,907 deaths.