SA scientists, WHO to discuss new Covid variant on Friday
South African scientists and officials from the World Health Organisation will be locked in an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss a new Covid-19 variant of concern.
B.1.1.529 was discovered three days ago by experts monitoring the steady rise in new infections over a week.
They warn it could be more infectious than Delta and resistant to the vaccines currently available.
This variant also has a large number of mutations.
It's been detected in South African travellers in Hong Kong and Botswana.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla held an urgent media briefing on Thursday.
He says it's too early to say what the country's line of action will be.
“We still going to have discussions on various forums in consultations with premiers as the president. We will do that from the experience from the last 20 months or so.
“We almost can predict how this is going to move, especially with the Delta that started in Gauteng, you can be rest assured as people start to move more over the next few weeks this will be all over.
Britain and Israel have responded by closing their borders to us. All travel's been banned from South Africa and five other southern African nations.
"I've been updated by this varient by the UK Health security agency and they have now designated as a variant under investigation,”’ said the UK Health Minister Sajid Javid.
“What we will be doing is from midday we will be suspending all flights from 6 southern African countries and we are adding those countries to the travel red list.”
The countries include Nambia, eSwatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
