South Africa mourns Covid travel ban as Britain faces travel ban

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South Africa mourns Covid travel ban as Britain faces travel ban

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 26, Reuters - Terry and Roger Hugo, both retired in their 70 s, couldn't wait to see their grandchildren come over from Britain to visit South Africa for the first time, after cancelling last year's Christmas plans because of COVID 19.

After a new coronavirus detected in South Africa, Britain has to slap a travel ban on its former colony.

We're absolutely gutted. Terry, 74, broke into tears at the leafy porch of her Johannesburg home as she recounted the things she was looking forward to doing with their grandkids Clara, 6, and Stella, 8, saying they can't tell you how upset we are with this whole situation.

We were planning to take them to Sun City, but the kids wanted to go to Pilanesburg National Park to see the wild animals. Terry, a South African, sits next to her British husband Roger, 79, owner of a video store.

She said we're just hoping and praying that they can come next Christmas.

South African authorities have questioned Britain's decision to ban flights from six southern African countries over the new COVID 19 variant, complaining that it seems rushed. There isn't yet any data to confirm whether or not the variant is more infectious or better able to evade immunity from vaccines or previous infections.

Scientists have so far only detected the B. The 529 variant is present in relatively small numbers, mainly in South Africa but also in Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel, but they are concerned by its high number of mutations.

Britain, which regards it as the most significant variant yet found, has banned flights from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The British-South African couple Wakule Tshabangu, 37, and Claire Almond, 42, are in a similar bind. Their son, Siyamthanda, nearly 3, was excited about the prospect of seeing Claire's parents, Tim and Carol, come over from Britain.

I'm pretty devastated," Almond said. My mum was literally unable to talk this morning, she was sobbing. South Africa is being unfairly singled out, simply because it does a better job of identifying variants than many other countries.

The frustrating thing is that they're playing political football with our lives, Tshabangu said. It feels like one rule for us and another for the others.