Omicron variant: Tourism sector says SA must challenge flight ban
The Tourism Business Council says South Africa should challenge the flight bans thrown up by several governments following the uncertainty over a new Covid-19 variant of concern.
"It's never helped anyone and it never going to help anyone and I think that is something that is unjustifiable, discriminatory and it needs to be challenged as such," says the council's CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa.
The United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates are among those that have slapped South Africa and sister nations with the restrictions.
South African health experts say the symptoms of Omicron appear to be mild so far.
Tshivhengwa says the global community took a hasty decision without trying to understand what's going on first.
"We believe that travel across countries should be allowed to happen and also the fact that this variant is probably not even only here in South Africa.
"We know that it has been found in many other counties and don't see these countries banning travel from each other. But they are banning travel to southern Africa and South Africa so it is quite concerning that they are doing that."
"So let's hope humanity prevails and there's practical change."
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