MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2021) Morocco and the Philippines on Friday followed European nations and Israel in announcing a halt to air travel from South Africa and other countries affected by the new coronavirus strain.
"In order to preserve Morocco's achievements in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, Moroccan authorities have decided to ban access to the national territory for all passengers coming from South Africa," its foreign ministry said.
The Philippine Presidency said it had suspended inbound flights from South Africa and Botswana until December 15 after they reported cases of infection with the B.1.1.1529 variant. Flights from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique were also banned.
The new variant, B.1.1.529, is reported to carry an exceptionally high number of mutations, many of them in spike proteins, the main target of COVID-19 vaccines, potentially making it even more transmissible.
