The US government welcomed the communicative transparency of the South African authorities concerning the new variant of COVID-19 Omicrón and they gave as an example for the rest of the world.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had a telephone conversation with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor , to whom he conveyed his “appreciation” for the cooperation in public health between the two countries, the State Department said in a statement.
Blinken also praised “the rapid identification” of the new variant by South African scientists.
The detection of this new variant in southern Africa worries the scientific community because it presents an amalgam of more than 30 mutations that, although some had already been observed in other variants, such as beta, this is the first time they have been seen together .
Fears of this new strain have led several countries around the world, including in the EU, to shut down air traffic from southern African countries, especially South Africa and Botswana.
The United States, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, Austria and Israel are some of the countries that have temporarily suspended travel or announced that they will impose restrictions.