Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #101

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Passengers on last flights from South Africa before ban say there were 'no additional precautions' | Daily Mail Online

Passengers arriving into the UK on one of the last flights from South Africa have revealed they were not offered tests and left to mix with hundreds of other passengers despite the country being a hotbed of the new super-mutant 'jab-dodging' Botswana Covid variant.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that flights from South Africa - as well as Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe - will be suspended from midday today. They have all been placed on the red list.

But today, passengers arriving from Johannesburg - the capital of the province of Gauteng where the variant was first identified - were subjected to 'no additional precautions', according to one of the people on the flight - one of three arriving at Heathrow before the ban comes into force.

The UK's lax contrasted with the approach in the Netherlands, where a video showed passengers arriving in Amsterdam being told they would not be allowed to leave the plane. They will be tested before being allowed to go home.

Meanwhile, one caller to the Jeremy Vine Show said her daughter was bypassing the ban by travelling back from South Africa via Egypt. 'She's managed to find a flight to Cairo and then from Cairo to Heathrow to get her back tomorrow,' the woman said, before adding: 'She doesn't want to stay in a hotel when she gets back.'
 
WHO meets amid global alarm over new Covid-19 variant found in southern Africa (nbcnews.com)

“This is the most significant variant we have encountered to date," said Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the U.K. Health Security Agency.

LONDON — Countries across the world rushed Friday to identify potential cases and halt travel from southern Africa where a new variant of Covid-19 emerged as a sudden source of global alarm.

The global scramble to contain the new Covid-19 variant was met with a plea for caution from the World Health Organization (WHO), even as cases were confirmed in Asia and Europe. The body convened Friday for an emergency meeting to assess the situation.

But stocks tumbled on fears of another pandemic setback, and the U.S. woke up the day after Thanksgiving to the possibility of a more uncertain holiday period ahead...
 
Explainer: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa? (detroitnews.com)

WHAT IS THIS NEW COVID-19 VARIANT IN SOUTH AFRICA?
South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It's unclear where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Hong Kong and Botswana.

Health minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an “exponential rise” of cases in the last few days, although experts are still trying to determine if the new variant, named B.1.1.529 is actually responsible.

From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to 2,465 on Thursday. Struggling to explain the sudden rise in cases, scientists studied virus samples from the outbreak and discovered the new variant...
 
presumably we can rapid test people if we do not have a travel ban, but if he "quarantine hotel" does not control spread(!) what do we actually do? sounds as if one whole airplane could all be infected from one traveler :(

I wonder if the two cases in the quarantine hotel had any contact? They'd be unlikely to admit it of course. Just a thought.
 
They will be tested before being allowed to go home.

I'm not even sure that is enough now is it? The Belgian one didn't show symptoms for 11 days so would probably have tested negative on arrival.

Meanwhile, one caller to the Jeremy Vine Show said her daughter was bypassing the ban by travelling back from South Africa via Egypt

Interesting - the Belgian one was also via Egypt, albeit before the new variant was known about. Maybe they took that route as well from a more southern African country? Maybe they'll close that option down now and she'll wish she hadn't called the show?
 
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