The World Health Organization urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.
The WHO's regional director for Africa called on countries to follow international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.
Moeti said that travel restrictions may be helpful in slightly reducing the spread of Covid-19, but that they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. According to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law, if restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily intrusive or scientifically based.
Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and notifying the World Health Organization when it found the omicron variant.
Moeti said that the speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in telling the world of the new variant is to be applauded. African countries have the courage to share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of Covid-19.
South Africa's president called the travel restrictions unjust.
He said in a speech Sunday evening that the prohibition of travel is not informed by science and will not be effective in preventing the spread of this variant. The prohibition on travel will only damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine the ability to respond to and recover from the Pandemic.
Many governments rushed to close their borders on Sunday after cases of the omicron variant of the coronaviruses popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world.
WHO recommends that all countries take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit the spread of the omicron variant.
There is no data yet that shows the new variant causes more serious illness than previous Covid-19 variant, according to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States.
Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union" that he thinks it's more contagious when you look at how quickly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday, in the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed as nations scrambled to slow the variant's spread. Scientists in Hong Kong, Europe, and elsewhere have confirmed its presence.
Australia and the Netherlands both reported two omicron cases on Sunday.
South Africa and seven other southern African countries will be banned from the U.S. starting Monday.
"With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity," said Moeti. Covid-19 exploits our divisions. If we work together for solutions, we will get the better of the virus.
The World Health Organization said it was increasing its support for Africa so it could provide adequate human resources and testing reagents. The WHO said it is ready to offer additional help to reinforce Covid-19 responses.
