Preventing The Entry Of A New Variant Of The Corona Virus, The United States Bans Travelers From South Africa

Illustration. (Mufid Majnun / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - President of the United States (US) Joe Biden plans to ban entry, for non-US immigrants who have recently been in South Africa. This ban is related to preventing the spread of a new variant of the corona virus from South Africa.

Previously, entry bans were also reinstated for all non-US residents who have been in Brazil, Great Britain, Ireland and 26 European countries that allow cross-border travel.

"We are adding South Africa to the restricted list because of a variant that is alarming and has spread beyond South Africa," said Deputy Director of the North's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Anne Schuchat, launched Reuters.

He added that the CDC is also implementing a series of measures to protect its citizens, reducing the risk of spreading new variants that worsen the current state of the pandemic.

"With the pandemic worsening and a more contagious variant emerging, this is not the time to lift international travel restrictions," said Schuchat.

It is known, a number of health authorities are concerned, the current vaccine is not effective for the new variant of the corona virus from South Africa. The variant known as 501Y.V2 is said to be 50 percent deadlier, can re-infect and has been detected in 20 countries.

The South African variant has not been found in the United States, but at least 20 US states have detected a British variant known as B.1.1.7. The good news is, the current vaccine appears to be effective against the British mutation.