Coetzee’s comments, saying the UK’s decision to ban flights in response to Omicron “seems to have been rushed.” South Africa’s foreign minister Naledi Pandor echoed Dr.She went on to say, “We have only become aware of this viral mutation, or the new strain we are seeing, last week.”.“I would understand if it was two weeks later and we know much more about this viral infection that is going around, or this mutation, but for now, it is like a storm in a teacup.”.

“We think it is a premature decision that has been taken, I think it is a hasty decision,” Dr.

Coetzee emphasized how it was too early to tell what impact the B.1.1.529 variant would have. Angelique Coetzee-chairwoman of the South African Medical Association-has described the travel restrictions imposed on the country as “hasty” and the reaction from other countries as “a storm in a teacup,” PA Media reports.

The discovery of a new coronavirus variant (“ Omicron“) has triggered “global alarm,” according to Reuters, “as Europe rushed to suspend travel from southern Africa and stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic suffered their biggest falls in more than a year.”.South Africa’s medical chief says recent travel bans represent a “storm in a teacup” and that the country has only recorded “very mild cases” of the new strain.

Omicron storm in a teacup