Canada has banned travellers from Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi over fears of the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
The latest ban brings to 10 the number of African countries targeted by Canada as the country had on Friday stopped entry to all travelers from seven southern African countries – Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was quoted as confirming the travel ban placed on Nigeria.
“We are adding three countries to the list of these countries that we talked about last Friday, these are Malawi, Egypt and Nigeria,” he said.
“Foreign nationals who have transited or stayed in these 10 countries cannot enter Canada if they have been in those countries in the last two weeks,” the AFP quoted Duclos to have said at a press conference.
He added that all travellers coming from outside Canada, apart from the United States, would now be tested at Canadian airports for the novel coronavirus disease, regardless of vaccination status.
Canada however, has no direct flight with Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said Africa accounts for only 4.3 per cent of COVID-19 global fatalities.
The sub-regional economic bloc said the coronavirus had claimed 221,593 deaths in Africa as of November 21, 2021, representing 4.3 per cent of the global fatalities adding that it needed 263 million vaccine doses to cover 40 per cent of the population of its 15 member states.
The economic bloc further stated that the current vaccination campaigns in its member states were insufficient to cover 40 per cent of the population.
These were contained in the 2021 Report on the State of the Community signed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Jean Kassi Brou.
The report put the total vaccines received at 48, 162, 280, while doses administered were 23, 712, 031, adding that 8, 773, 073 persons had completed their doses.
“Africa has 8,581,900 cases (3.3 per cent of global cases) with 221,593 deaths (4.3 per cent of global). ECOWAS region: Number of case x 3 and deaths x 3.5 (Feb 2020-Oct 2021).
“Vaccination campaigns in member states ongoing but insufficient to cover 40 per cent of population.
“ECOWAS countries would need 263 million extra doses of vaccine to cover 40 per cent of their population. There is need to promote local production capacities,” the report stated.
