U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the media at the end of his visit to mark five years since the signing of a peace deal between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government in Bogota, Colombia on November 24, 2021. UNITED NATIONS, December 1, Reuters -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that travel restrictions over COVID 19 that isolate one country or region are deeply unfair and punitive -- they are ineffective. Guterres said that the only way to reduce the risk of transmission while allowing for travel and economic engagement was to repeatedly test travelers, together with other appropriate and truly effective measures. We have the instruments to have safe travel. Let's use those instruments to avoid this kind of travel, allow me to say, apartheid, which I think is unacceptable, Guterres said.
Omicron was first identified in southern Africa and many countries, including the United States and Britain, have announced travel restrictions and other restrictions on the region. Africa has some of the lowest COVID 19 vaccination rates in the world due to the lack of access to doses.
Guterres warned of the dangers of vaccine inequality around the world and that low immunization rates are a breeding ground for variants. "These travel bans are not justified," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, at the joint news conference with Guterres after the annual meeting between the United Nations and the African Union.