Stop air flights to and from countries with the new variant. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, dictates a common line for the continent. The stop must begin immediately, even if the risks and implications of the new variant B.1.1.529, observed starting from 12 November in Hong Kong, Botswana and South Africa, are not yet fully clear.
The alarm for a new strain of the coronavirus more contagious and able to escape the action of vaccines was triggered yesterday, with a press conference of the Ministry of Health of South Africa in which it was reported that in the Gauteng region the new strain had supplanted the pur contagious Delta variant in the loop – from what it is possible to see, because the uncertainties are still several – of a few weeks.
Israel and Great Britain stopped flights on Thursday evening. Other countries followed them this morning, including Italy. Von der Leyen then asks the vaccine manufacturers to implement a clause in the new contracts: start working immediately to adapt the RNA-based active ingredient to the virus mutations. “We can do it in 100 days, subject to regulatory approval,” Pfizer had already said.
Von der Leyen reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated as much as possible: “It is also up to all of us as citizens to contribute to better control of the pandemic. Please get vaccinated as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. And follow the known rules for protect you. Booster doses offer even better protection. This is why Europeans should take every opportunity to protect themselves through vaccination. “
Von der Leyen then went into details: “We are taking the news of the new highly mutated Covid variant very seriously. We know that the mutations could lead to the emergence and spread of even more troubling variants of the virus that could spread across the country. world within a few months, “the president said.
“It is now important that all of us in Europe act very quickly, decisively and united. The European Commission today proposed to member states to activate the ’emergency brake’ on travel from Southern African and other affected countries to limit the diffusion of the new variant, “explained von der Leyen. “All air travel to these countries should be suspended until we have a clear understanding of the danger posed by this new variant. And travelers returning from this region should adhere to strict quarantine rules.”
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