Covid: Africa travel Restrictions / Flight Suspensions over Omicron variant

[WAB]

Other than the occasional earnest looking twenty or thirty something urban female, virtually no one is wearing a mask in my area and hasn't for the last six-eight months. Our infection and hospitalizations are low and falling. I don't suspect many of them will embrace the Omicron terror either.

Listen to the video @spike.t just posted. Meanwhile Fauci is all over the TV this morning preaching pending doom. Dems believe this plague won them the election last year and can be counted upon to do what they can to maintain fear.

As Nathan Bedford Forest so eloquently put it in describing his tactics “Get ’em skeered and keep the skeer on ’em.”

In the middle of Fauci’s fear-mongering, he makes the comment that viruses typically become more transmissible and less deadly as they mutate. This is exactly what the early data seems to indicate. Who cares how transmissible it is if it is roughly as dangerous as a common cold?

 

[Brent in Az]

S. African Doctor Who Discovered Omicron: 'Unusual But Mild'

The first South African doctor to sound an alert about patients with the omicron variant has described the symptoms as unusual but mild.In an interview with the U.K.-based Telegraph, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a general practitioner from Pretoria, recounted that patients began...

www.newsmax.com

 

[MarkB]

Or get vaxxed and have your Safari without complications. My 23 days in Africa turned into... 23 days.

I was also vaxxed against Hep. A & B (immune from previous vaccinations years ago), Tetanus, Typhoid, etc., etc. I also took Malaria pills.

It is a personal choice to get vaccinated. You were fine with the negative consequences of getting Covid. I am not, and neither are a lot of people as one does not know the health impact. One could have a mild case with almost no symptoms or one could die. Vaccines have proven effective in reducing the risk of infection AND reducing the effect of the virus on the body.

All true Sir.

Was not upset at more time in SA, even if we were in a hotel.

I was also vaxed for all the diseases you listed and more, I have anthrax test Vax and some "deployment" vaccines on my docs, nobody willing to tell my doc what they were. I was also placed on mefloquine and many of us had seizures. First and only one. For all my previous vaccines It was never get or else or treated like a criminal for not getting. Free democratic Country and personal choice for all but Covid. Lastly how many "vaccine shots did you have for all your other vaccines/shots? I remember 1 for most. Even yellow fever vaccine protects for 10 years. No jiggery do about mutations and "variants".

Lastly you state you do not know the health impact of Covid? That's ironic as you know the long term effects of the vaccine that added a spike protein to your body? With many more to come. No professional has answered that question when I asked. All state they had no idea?

My personal choice is to wait this one out and see the long term impact of Covid vaccines on the test subjects first. Understand that's my choice, I wish all would equally respect that choice and not force their (friends, acquaintances and Govs) decision on me.

MB

 

[Philip Glass]

Damn , the Netherlands also closing travel from South Africa. Hopefully my hunt in May can go through as planned ..

But their first case came from Egypt!

 

[Philip Glass]

As usual the “scientists” do not even know what this is. The variants are caused by the vaccine but thankfully they are milder. I do not care what the nuts in the UK do. They are complete idiots over there.
I hope cooler heads prevail.
PG

 

[spike.t]

As usual the “scientists” do not even know what this is. The variants are caused by the vaccine but thankfully they are milder. I do not care what the nuts in the UK do. They are complete idiots over there.
I hope cooler heads prevail.
PG

And your lot are super intelligent in the USA?...yeah right

 

[spike.t]

Put this on the lighter note thread also..

A True Story...

Pretty accurate assessment of Omicron reaction.

“In just 48hrs everything just went upside down, looking at all the updates and social media posts I could not help but write the below outlining the absurd response from the countries. Maybe some of them will realize what has actually transpired.”

South Africa: Hey guys, look what we discovered in our labs while researching Covid19 variants and mutations

World: What??

SA: It's a new variant of Covid19, seems to be different than others, lets work together and study it further.

World: What? You have a new variant of Covid19?!?!

SA: No, we just found a way to 'identify' a new variant, it seems it has also already been detected in Hong Kong, Israel and Botswana.

UK: Hey guys, no offence but we already have 45,000 cases a day, don't wear a mask everywhere, allow large gathering however we cannot risk getting a new variant.

SA: But we just identified it and showed you guys how to check for this variant, it did not originate here. We have advanced labs because we do research on AIDS, TB and other communicable diseases.

UK: Thank you for the research, however a complete travel ban to you and your 5 neighbors.

Netherlands: We heard UK banned flights to you because you have the new variant, we are also imposing a ban to you and your neighbors!

Namibia: WTF! What did we do? We have less than 20 new cases a day since a month now!

EU: Guys, we have a situation in our hands.

Namibia: The situation where Germany has had 76,000 cases a day and Other countries are breaking daily records for cases?

EU: No, not that situation.

Lesotho: Is it that UK still has 40,000+ cases a day and doesn't seem to have it under control?

EU: No, UK isn't a part of us anymore, not our concern.

Malawi: We hear Poland has some serious rise in cases and hospitalizations

EU: Really?! We have no idea, we must look into it. But not what we are talking about.

Eswatini: What situation then?

EU: We heard that South Africa has a new variant, their numbers are rising rapidly and since some of you are next to them, we need to close travel to the region with immediate effect!

SA: Dude, we just identified it! We only have a few cases in the region. Especially when compared to what you guys have. What's with the knee-jerk reaction?

Namibia: Knee-jerk, that's the word we were looking for.

UAE: We are closing flights to Southern Africa, we don't want to risk it. Sorry guys.

USA: We are looking into this and studying the variant, we wont ban flights yet.

SA: Thank you USA, finally a voice of reason!

Mauritius: Sorry SA and the variant group, I saw some other countries refer to you as that, we are friends and all but we are concerned about our tourism and economy, so we will also ban you guys for now until we know further.

SA: We thought you were family. Goes to show how money is more important!

Belgium: We already have 1 new case of the new variant, thanks a lot SA.

SA: We literally just showed you how to identify it.

UK: Thanks a lot SA, now we also have 2 cases of it.

SA: What about our vaccinated people?

World: Nope, we need to run tests first and figure out what this virus can do and how effective the vaccination is against it.

WHO: Hey guys, a quick question. The next Greek alphabet is 'Xi'. What do we do? China? Are you here?

China: Don't you dare! Leave us and our president out of it. Call it something else. And we don't allow anyone in anyway, so the variant is not our concern.

WHO: We got it boss. It's now called Omicron.

WHO: Sorry we meant Sir. China isn't our boss.

SA: It's true what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. The next time we won't tell you guys about the next mutations or variants we find.

World: Sorry can't hear you, too busy dealing with the outbreak that you caused. How about we talk about this later?

Namibia: It's the weekend, lets braai & go camping and let the world figure this one out themselves, we are still open to everyone. And if you wish to travel here, ask your leaders to start thinking before making decisions.

To be continued.....

Written by Nrupesh Soni.

 

[JanP]

Last Friday two planes from SA landed in Amsterdam with 624 passengers, only 61 of them had Covid of which only 13 the omicron variety.
I do not understand why people in Europe worry...............

 

[Jaegger]

I sense Omicron is mostly about Country vaccination % percentages. The BBC reporter asked the S. African Dr. if the US, UK & Israel travel restrictions were premature & answer: Yes.

LOL moment because, Friday/26th EU 27 member states unanimously voted for immediate travel restrictions across 7 African Countries so who started the knee-jerk travel fiasco scare!? It was so bad - KLM flight that departed Joburg Friday evening to Amsterdam had the new EU policy enforced mid-flight. Reports say, 61+ cases aboard …

Fair number of EU Countries at a crossroads with vaccine % & stuck around 50% - 60% w/ no real science to push the others across the finish-line (their choice). Maybe a fear monger moment over Omicron may get Gov another 10% - 20% over the finish-line!?

It’s proven from April 2020 on … Geopolitical COVID Policies are more reciprocal than science-based. “Heavy Sigh …”

 

[DieJager]

I do not understand why people in Europe worry...............

Because our healthcare systems are stripped to the bone, they want to implement stricter covid measures and the new variant is just the excuse they need

 

[JanP]

@DieJager: ik neem aan dat je mijn cynisme niet door had?

 

[Kenneth McMillan]

This has gone beyond the joke now. Travel bans/restrictions don't work. Masks, vaccination etc that's what works. Knee jerk reaction by politicians.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Moderna says if necessary, a new mRna vaccine should be ready early 2022.

Moderna Announces Strategy to Address Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 Variant | Moderna, Inc.

Company testing three existing COVID-19 vaccine booster candidates against the Omicron variant Company announcing a new variant-specific vaccine candidate against Omicron (mRNA-1273.529) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 26, 2021-- Moderna, Inc.

investors.modernatx.com

But would it work on the next Bidetron variant? That one will make you lose your mind and have a craving for ice cream.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@DieJager: ik neem aan dat je mijn cynisme niet door had?

Si.

 

[Adrian]

As usual the “scientists” do not even know what this is. The variants are caused by the vaccine but thankfully they are milder. I do not care what the nuts in the UK do. They are complete idiots over there.
I hope cooler heads prevail.
PG

Not all of us........

We just want to go hunting and travelling like the rest of the community and are equally as fed up, perhaps more so because of our knee jerk government who are too scared to use logic and common sense.
Southern Africa was only taken off our red list a few weeks ago and now it is straight back on there.
Unbelievably frustrating and we, like the rest of the world are pissed off with the restrictions that are preventing us from living our lives.

 

[DieJager]

@DieJager: ik neem aan dat je mijn cynisme niet door had?

Klaarblijkelijk niet

 

[VertigoBE]

Looking at all the protests in Europe from recent weeks, from all over the spectrum (both anti vaxx, as pro vaxx) I'm not sure if EU governments are realizing that by continuing to restrict everyone's freedom, they are perhaps inviting a bigger monster to join the party... If you ask in the street, no one, irrespective of political affiliation or thoughts on covid, is agreeing anymore with the recent decisions.

Meanwhile, not a single extra bed for intensive care has been added in the past 2 years, over the entire country.

I feel very sorry and even ashamed of EU governments reactions/decisions and the pressure this will put on the outfitters and private business owners who depend so much on the tourism that comes from the EU (and elsewhere of course).

 

[Foxi]

Meanwhile, not a single extra bed for intensive care has been added in the past 2 years, over the entire country.

...and more money for the overworked nursing staff did not flow either.
Only examinated nurses received a one-off payment of € 500.- at the beginning of the year, not the auxiliary and cleaning staff in the hospitals. Not the assistant doctors, not the physiotherapists and so on.
But last year, before Christmas, our transport minister had biscuits distributed to hospitals (in his constituency). Literally " as a thank you for incredible work" .

 

[WAB]

Looking at all the protests in Europe from recent weeks, from all over the spectrum (both anti vaxx, as pro vaxx) I'm not sure if EU governments are realizing that by continuing to restrict everyone's freedom, they are perhaps inviting a bigger monster to join the party... If you ask in the street, no one, irrespective of political affiliation or thoughts on covid, is agreeing anymore with the recent decisions.

Meanwhile, not a single extra bed for intensive care has been added in the past 2 years, over the entire country.

I feel very sorry and even ashamed of EU governments reactions/decisions and the pressure this will put on the outfitters and private business owners who depend so much on the tourism that comes from the EU (and elsewhere of course).

Agreed, they will take some short term pain but I believe that the UK has made the right decision in divorcing themselves from the folks in Brussels.

 

[Dudders]

As usual the “scientists” do not even know what this is. The variants are caused by the vaccine but thankfully they are milder. I do not care what the nuts in the UK do. They are complete idiots over there.
I hope cooler heads prevail.
PG

I suppose we could wear two masks, That might help.