The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has urged the
British government to remove Nigeria and other countries from its red list.
There has been outrage over the inclusion of Nigeria, South
Africa and other African countries on the United Kingdom’s red list over the
Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the Archbishop said the UK
should avoid ‘travel apartheid’, echoing the words of the Nigerian High
Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Sarafa Isola.
He wrote, “With Omicron set to become the dominant variant
in the UK, I appeal to the British government to remove Nigeria and South Africa
from the red list – together with all other countries currently on it.
“We must find fair and effective approaches for those who
are vaccinated and tested to enter the UK. I agree with the Nigerian High
Commissioner to the UK – we cannot have ‘travel apartheid’.”
Welby also stated that it was morally wrong to punish
countries that are transparent with their discoveries regarding COVID-19.
He, however, canvassed for vaccine equity and condemned the
hoarding of doses urging for cooperation to get vaccines to countries that need
it the most.
“It is also morally wrong – and self-defeating – effectively
to punish other nations for being transparent when they discover new Covid
variants, as Archbishop of Cape Town (Thabo Makgoba) has said.
“The only route out of this pandemic is vaccine equity. We
must end vaccine nationalism and stockpiling. We must get vaccines distributed
in countries that need them the most. The choice is vaccine nationalism or
human solidarity,” the Archbishop added.
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