New Covid variant: South Africa’s pride and punishment

(BBC)South Africans have responded sharply to the news that the UK, and a growing list of other countries, have reacted to the emergence of a new Covid variant with red-listings and travel bans.

While there is genuine pride here in the country’s scientific expertise, and the speed with which South Africa has been able to identify and share information about new variants, there is also a strong sense that the nation is being unfairly punished for its successes.

“The world should provide support to South Africa and Africa and not discriminate or isolate it,” said Prof Tulio de Oliveira, the Durban-based scientist leading efforts to understand the new variant.

In a series of tweets, he pointed out that South Africa has been “very transparent with scientific information. We did this to protect our country and the world in spite of potentially suffering massive discrimination.”

South Africa has a sophisticated monitoring infrastructure that allows it to do the sequencing work effectively.

Prof de Oliveira urged “billionaires and financial institutions” to help the country cope with the economic damage caused by new travel restrictions.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor was also quick to condemn the UK’s travel ban, describing it as “rushed” and damaging to tourism and business, and urging the UK government “to reconsider this decision”.

News of the flight bans has caused inevitable frustration among many South Africans who had hoped to see visiting friends and family over the southern hemisphere summer holidays in December.

South Africa was one of the last countries to have previously been removed from the red list last month.