Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) on Wednesday condemned the suspension of flights to and from Mozambique on the grounds of the Covid-19 ‘Omicron’ variant, as a “discriminatory stance” of the “West”.
“The CTA condemns the attitude of Western countries for the discriminatory stance they have adopted,” said Nuno Quelhas, chairman of the CTA’s Covid-19 private sector response committee, during a press conference in Maputo.
For the Mozambican employers, the cancellation of flights suggests “a disarticulation and lack of unity in the fight against” the novel coronavirus, which has “severely affected the social and economic life” of several countries, “especially with developing economies, like Mozambique”.
“These restrictions may contribute to the retraction of investments and contraction of the flow of economic activity in the country,” Qelhas stressed.
CTA further warned that the flow of travel to Mozambique could, if these bans continue, end the year at below US$180 million, pointing out that the tourism sector will probably be the worst affected by the current scenario.
Regarding the restrictions to be adopted to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, Mozambican businesspeople suggest incentives for those who present vaccination certificates, to encourage adherence and speed up the immunisation process.
The CTA also suggests that the Mozambican government intercede with countries in the region on the “need to lift or rationalise travel restrictions” between Africa and the European Union.
Several countries, including Portugal, suspended flights with Mozambique, following the identification of the Omicron Covid variant in neighbouring South Africa.
Mozambique’s health minister, Armindo Tiago, announced on Tuesday that two Covid-19 cases reported in November are now being investigated as to the possibility of them being the Omicron variant, one patient having mild symptoms, and the other none.
Minister Tiago said there was “no reason for panic”, noting that current scientific evidence did not show that the variant had “greater potential for transmission” nor that it “may cause serious illness or escape the protection generated by the vaccine”.
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