Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera in his capacity as SADC Chairperson has described as uncalled for, travel bans imposed on African nations by some western countries.
The travel restrictions follow the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant in South Africa.
Chakwera has expressed his concern through a Facebook post on his official Facebook page.
“We are all concerned about the new Covid variant and owe South Africa’s scientists our thanks for identifying it before anyone else did. But the unilateral travel bans now imposed on SADC countries by the UK, EU, US, Australia, and others are uncalled for.” reads part of the post.
Meanwhile, Chakwera has called on the countries to base their Covid-19 restriction measures on science.
Meanwhile, an epidemiologist Professor Adamson Muula is describing the restrictions as unfortunate.
Speaking to MIJ Online Muula said the move by the western countries will make African leaders to conceal findings of Covid-19 to the world after the strain was discovered in South Africa.
With this, Muula has said there is need to ensure that Covid19 restrictions should not create a gap between developed and developing nations as the impact of the pandemic has hit all countries.
Read more about the Omicron virus HERE