{"id":1068453,"date":"2021-11-30T12:29:01","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T17:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1068453"},"modified":"2021-11-30T12:29:05","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T17:29:05","slug":"u-n-sounds-alarm-on-biden-style-africa-travel-bans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-n-sounds-alarm-on-biden-style-africa-travel-bans\/","title":{"rendered":"U.N. Sounds Alarm on Biden-Style Africa Travel Bans"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fu-n-sounds-alarm-on-biden-style-africa-travel-bans%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1068453&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres condemned travel bans rapidly imposed in the past week on southern African countries in response to the discovery of a new Chinese coronavirus variant, stating on Monday that he was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d about policies such as that enacted by President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Guterres\u2019 opposition to travel bans echoes that of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), a U.N. agency, of the leaders of African countries targeted, and of Joe Biden in 2020.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>While Biden accused predecessor Donald Trump of racism, \u201cxenophobia,\u201d and other epithets last year for limiting travel from countries experiencing high numbers of Chinese coronavirus cases, Biden banned travel from&nbsp;South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi last week while on an extended five-day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/11\/29\/back-to-work-joe-biden-emerges-from-five-day-vacation-to-address-omicron-variant-supply-chains\/\">vacation<\/a> in upscale Nantucket.<\/p>\n<p>Guterres did not name Biden personally, as several other countries \u2013 most notably those in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Japan \u2013 enacted similar policies. Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2021\/11\/30\/national\/japan-omicron-case\/\">documented<\/a> its first case of the new Chinese coronavirus variant, dubbed \u201cOmicron,\u201d on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after imposing its travel ban.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am now deeply concerned about the isolation of southern African countries due to new [Chinese coronavirus] travel restrictions,\u201d Guterres <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sg\/en\/node\/260892\">wrote<\/a> in a statement on Monday. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Guterres also applauded South Africa for being the first country to identify Omicron and appeared to demand more global vaccine donations for the region.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"6.7358490566038\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">UK Bans Flights from Six African Countries After New Covid-19 Strain Detected <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WLTKwNaVwM\">https:\/\/t.co\/WLTKwNaVwM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreitbartLondon\/status\/1464183295332257794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 26, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAs I and others have long warned, low vaccine rates are a breeding ground for variants,\u201d Guterres wrote. \u201cThe people of Africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccinations available in Africa \u2013 and they should not be penalized for identifying and sharing crucial science and health information with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While a South African laboratory first fully identified Omicron, the nation\u2019s government insists it is not a native South African variant and evidence suggests the first cases occurred in Botswana. The government of Botswana also denied that it is the origin of Omicron, accusing four foreign diplomats of bringing the virus into the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are concerned by attempts to stigmatize the variant and label a country where it was first detected as its country of origin,\u201d Botswana Health Minister Edwin Dikoloti said on Sunday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/africa\/2021\/11\/29\/botswana-blames-foreign-diplomats-spreading-omicron-coronavirus-variant\/\">refusing<\/a> to identify the countries that the allegedly infected diplomats came from.<br \/>\u201cThat aspect of saying it originates from Botswana is out,\u201d Dikoloti nonetheless insisted.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Guterres\u2019 opposition to Biden-style travel bans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/africa\/2021\/11\/29\/president-of-south-africa-rages-against-travel-bans-over-omicron-variant\/\">follows<\/a> several outraged statements from heads of state in southern Africa, most prominently South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are deeply disappointed by the decision of several countries to prohibit travel from a number of Southern African countries following the identification of the Omicron variant,\u201d Ramaphosa said in a speech on Sunday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_18944626\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"37\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1236837050.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18944626\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1236837050-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt width=\"990\" height=\"660\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Travellers walk near an electronic flight notice board displaying cancelled flights at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on November 27, 2021, after several countries banned flights from South Africa following the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant Omicron. (PHILL MAGAKOE\/AFP via Getty)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis is a clear and completely unjustified departure from the commitment that many of these countries made at the meeting of G20 countries in Rome last month. They pledged at that meeting to restart international travel in a safe and orderly manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese restrictions are unjustified and unfairly discriminate against our country and our Southern African sister countries,\u201d Ramaphosa continued, urging Biden and others to \u201curgently reverse\u201d travel bans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant,\u201d Ramaphosa asserted, citing the W.H.O.\u2019s opposition to such bans.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, accused Biden and other leaders enacting travel bans of \u201cAfrophobia\u201d in a Facebook post on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Chinese coronavirus] measures must be based on science, not Afrophobia,\u201d Chakwera <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DrLazarusChakwera\/posts\/4637530143027805\">wrote<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/africa\/2021\/11\/29\/malawi-president-brands-biden-coronavirus-travel-ban-afrophobia\/\">referring<\/a> specifically to the travel bans by the United States and the West as \u201cuncalled for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The W.H.O. regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/who-criticizes-travel-bans-on-southern-african-countries\/\">said<\/a> in a statement this week that travel bans \u201cplace a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods\u201d and urged \u201cscientifically based\u201d policies, instead.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to becoming president, Biden appeared to agree with these sentiments. Following Trump\u2019s initial ban on travel from China in early 2020 to slow the spread of Chinese coronavirus, Biden ranted on Twitter that the policy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/11\/26\/joe-biden-enacts-african-travel-ban-despite-calling-racist-xenophobic-2020\/\">reflected<\/a> \u201chysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering.\u201d Biden later accused Trump of enacting an \u201cAfrican Ban\u201d explicitly \u201cdesigned to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"6.7630057803468\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Psaki Tries to Defend Biden&#8217;s Travel Ban After He Called Trump&#8217;s Ban &#8220;Hysterical Xenophobia&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WirYnW2JAJ\">pic.twitter.com\/WirYnW2JAJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreitbartNews\/status\/1465411536801914881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 29, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden has not offered any clarity on the difference between his ban on African nation travel and Trump\u2019s \u201cAfrican Ban\u201d [sic] at press time.<\/p>\n<p>The World Health Organization labeled Omicron a \u201cvariant of concern\u201d last week based on the identification of significantly more mutations in its system than in previous variants. Scientists appear to know little about how it actually affects infected people, another fact that the W.H.O. identified as a cause for caution.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a doctor who has treated South African Omicron patients, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/health\/2021\/11\/29\/south-african-doctor-who-raised-alarm-over-omicron-variant-symptoms-unusual-but-mild\/\">told<\/a> the U.K.&nbsp;<em>Telegraph<\/em> this week that she observed extremely mild symptoms in her patients, including children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had one very interesting case, a kid, about six years old, with a temperature and a very high pulse rate, and I wondered if I should admit her. But when I followed up two days later, she was so much better,\u201d Coetzee explained. She identified extreme fatigue as the most common symptom.<\/p>\n<p>Coetzee warned that the virus may affect older people or those with chronic health problems more severely.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Frances Martel on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1638355838791000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3f-VC1mEVAMgc9a4XjmQIT\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1638355838791000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IGxbABA7P5rlr5CqVUhyy\">Twitter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres condemned travel bans rapidly imposed in the past week on southern African countries in response to the discovery of a new Chinese coronavirus variant, stating &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1068453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1068453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1068453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1068453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1068453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}