Manitobans with family members in Africa question fairness of new Canadian travel bans

Manitobans with family members from certain countries in Africa who are now banned from entering Canada are questioning the fairness of new travel restrictions.

Manitobans with family members from certain countries in Africa who are now banned from entering Canada are questioning the fairness of new travel restrictions.

“It’s unfair,” said Zita Somakoko, whose brother from Nigeria planned on visiting her in Winnipeg over the Christmas holidays.

Now, it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to come.

People from Nigeria and nine other African countries are not being permitted entry into Canada, after the new coronavirus variant Omicron was first detected in South Africa. It’s a measure the World Health Organization has advised against and one Somakoko sees as punitive for South Africa sounding the alarm on an emerging threat.

“And now you’re putting pressure on us, because we’re doing the right thing,” said Somakoko. “You are now retaliating against us.”

While experts say a higher concentration of cases have been found Africa, Omicron has since been detected in a total of 24 countries including Canada which has seven confirmed cases that are all travel related.

The original source of Omicron is not yet known but there’s growing evidence the variant has already been spreading outside Africa.