South Africa has accused countries of punishing its advanced capabilities that detected the Omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation condemned the deal in a statement on Saturday.
Travel bans and restrictions have been imposed on the country due to the new variant.
Omicron, first discovered in South Africa, has been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Israel, and Hong Kong.
“This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants faster.
“Excellent science should be applauded and not punished,” the statement said.
Noting that the variant is now found in other territories, South Africa said the world’s reaction to those countries has been “completely different.”
The new variant could evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) named him Omicron and designated him as a “variant of concern.”
.