NOVEMBER 28, 2021

BY  Annika Kim Constantino

KEY POINTS

• South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said that new travel restrictions amid concerns over a heavily mutated Covid variant are “unjustified.”
• He slammed other nations for “wanting to put blame” and ascribe the variant to South Africa rather than working collaboratively to address the situation as guided by the WHO. 
• Phaala said preliminary studies suggest the variant may be more transmissible due to is genetic composition but noted that vaccines are still effective in preventing severe Covid-19 from the variant. 

Health Deputy Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, September 02, 2020 in Springs, South Africa. OJ Koloti | Gallo Images | Getty Images

South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said Friday that other countries’ decisions to impose travel restrictions amid concerns over the detection of a heavily mutated variant of Covid-19 in his country is “unjustified.”

“The kind of knee-jerk reaction, it really doesn’t make sense,” Phaahla said at a media briefing, adding that travel bans violate the norms and standards of the World Health Organization. 

He slammed other nations for “wanting to put blame” and ascribing the variant to South Africa rather than working collaboratively to address the situation as guided by the WHO. 

“Covid-19 is a global health emergency. We must work together, not punish each other,” Phaahla said. “Witch hunts don’t benefit anyone. South Africa wants to be an honest player in the world, to share health info not just of benefit to South Africans and citizens of the world.”

The new variant, known as B.1.1.529, has been detected in small numbers in South Africa. The WHO on Friday assigned the Greek letter Omicron to the variant.

Phaala said preliminary studies suggest the variant may be more transmissible due to is genetic composition but noted that vaccines are still effective in preventing severe Covid from the variant. 

Reports on Friday morning said cases of the new variant have been found in Israel, Hong Kong and Belgium.

Earlier Friday, the WHO urged countries not to hastily impose travel bans linked to the new variant of the virus, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach,” Reuters reported. 

However, several European and Asian nations have already reacted by imposing temporary travel bans on southern Africa. 

On Friday, a committee of health experts from all 27 EU states “agreed on the need to activate the emergency break & impose temporary restriction on all travel into EU from southern Africa,” the Slovenian presidency of the EU said on Twitter.

The United Kingdom also announced Thursday it would temporarily suspend flights from six African countries, including South Africa, starting midday Friday. The decision was made without prior discussion with South Africa, Phaahla said. 

Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo said at the media breifing he believes indications are that the U.S. will divert from other nations and not impose a travel ban.

Earlier Friday, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s “New Day” the U.S. will speak with scientists from South Africa to “get the facts” on the new variant. Fauci said the U.S. is in “very active communication” with South African scientists to get the molecular makeup of the variant.

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

(Bloomberg) - New Zealand will ban entry to travelers from nine Southern African countries from the start of next week, other than returning citizens, in an attempt to stop the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.

“The government is taking a precautionary approach in treating South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique as very high risk countries to reduce the chance of omicron entering New Zealand,” Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement on Saturday. 

“This means that from 11:59 p.m. Sunday 28 November only New Zealand citizens from these countries will be able to come here,” the minister said.

New Zealanders returning from those nine African counties will be required to undergo testing and a 14-day managed isolation period, he said.

The new Covid-19 variant hasn’t entered New Zealand yet, Hipkins said.

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. health officials are considering imposing new travel restrictions on southern Africa to slow the spread of the latest coronavirus variant, with President Joe Biden’s team set to meet on the issue Friday afternoon.

American health officials spoke with their South African counterparts at midday New York time on Friday to gather medical and scientific data about the newly discovered variant, which the World Health Organization labeled a “variant of concern.”

Anthony Fauci, one of Biden’s top health advisers, said they’d use that data in deciding whether to join the European Union, the U.K. and others in restricting travel.

Biden’s advisers are meeting Friday afternoon to discuss next steps, an official familiar with the matter said, and Fauci said earlier in the day that travel measures are being considered.

It’s not clear if a U.S. travel decision will be made Friday, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.

“You always put these things on the table but you don’t want to say you’re going to do it until you have some scientific reason to do it,” Fauci told CNN on Friday. “There’s always the possibility of doing what the U.K. has done, namely block travel from South Africa and related countries, we don’t know that. That’s certainly something you think about and get prepared to do; you’re prepared to do everything you need to do to protect the American public but you want to make sure there’s a basis for doing that, and that’s what we’re doing now.”

It’s not clear how significant a new ban on flights from southern Africa would be in itself. There are only a handful of direct flights between the U.S. and South Africa. The overall market between that region of Africa and the U.S. is also relatively small compared to domestic travel and other international destinations, such as Europe.

But airline shares tumbled the most since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic on the news of flight bans. The Bloomberg EMEA Airlines Index sank as much as 12% and the S&P 500 Index declined the most since February.

The new travel restrictions threaten to undo progress the airline industry has had with growing domestic travel and the reopening earlier this month of U.S.-European travel. Other governments, including Hong Kong, have enacted travel restrictions from the region.

Despite raising concerns about the new strain, South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla said new travel bans imposed on the country after the discovery of a new Covid strain, particularly by the EU, were “unjustified.”

The moves “are completely against the norms and standards” advised by the World Health Organization, Phaahla said Friday during an online press conference.

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Canada is following countries, from the U.S. to the U.K. and Hong Kong, in banning foreign nationals from seven southern African nations, amid concerns about a new COVID-19 variant.

Worries about the variant sent markets around the world tumbling Friday, feeding fears the latest threat could derail the fragile global recovery. There are no direct flights from the region into Canada.

We are “acting quickly to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters in Ottawa. “We are banning the entry of foreign nationals into Canada that have traveled through southern Africa in the last 14 days.”

Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada, lost as much as 11 per cent, the most since June 2020, but the damage was widespread. Every sector of the S&P/TSX Composite Index was weaker, with the equities benchmark down 2.3 per cent at 2:04 p.m. in Toronto. 

The seven countries are South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Eswatini.

One week ago, Air Canada said it no longer required support under a $5.9 billion (US$4.6 billion) state rescue package. The same day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government said it will ease testing requirements for vaccinated Canadians making short trips to the U.S.

Some economists are warning the spread of the variant could have material impacts on economic activity.

“Some countries are already barring flights from Africa, but it may well be that this variant is already brewing elsewhere,” Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said in a report to investors Friday. “What isn’t clear is whether vaccines or antibody treatments can still defend against severe outcomes, which would be key to whether it can set us back on our physical and economic healing path.”

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa may announce more stringent lockdown measures in coming days to curb a resurgence of coronavirus infections and the spread of a new variant, people familiar with the matter said. 

The National Coronavirus Command Council met Saturday to discuss possible measures, while weighing the impact any moves will have on the economy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks aren’t public. 

Among the options being considered are ways to try and boost the nation’s vaccination rate, they said. 

Tyrone Seale, spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa, declined to comment beyond a statement issued on Friday in which the presidency said that the outcome of the NCCC meeting will help determine whether further consultations are required at the level of the President’s Coordinating Council..

South African scientists this week identified the new variant, known as omicron, setting off alarm bells around the world. The U.K. led nations in introducing travel bans on South Africa and its neighbors, posing a threat to the nation’s tourism industry, which accounts for 7% of economic output. The European Union, U.S. and much of the world has followed. 

Government officials have criticized the travel ban.

Read: S. Africa Punished for ‘Wrong Reasons’ Over Covid Variant

Only about a third of South African adults are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. 

The number of new coronavirus cases more than tripled this week to 2,465 on Friday, according to the Health Department. The proportion of positive tests rose to 9.2% from 6.5% a day earlier, National Institute for Communicable Diseases data shows. 

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand will ban arrivals from eight southern African nations from Dec. 1 after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha ordered agencies to step up vigilance against the new omicron variant.

Arrivals from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are forbidden from next month, Opas Karnkawinpong, director general of the Disease Control Department, said during a webcast briefing Saturday afternoon. Any travelers from those countries who had already received approval will be subject to 14 days of quarantine.

Thailand has yet to detect any infection among arrivals from South Africa, Opas said.

“If there’s any urgent need for the government to adjust control measures against this new variant, I will order agencies to act immediately,” Prayuth said in a Facebook post Saturday morning. “We will closely monitor how this new strain will impact Thailand.”

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

BY  Oyetunji Abioye, Okechukwu Nnodim and Adepeju Adenuga

•Top pastors, business moguls, banks and oil firms’ CEOs affected

•NCAA, FAAN, NAMA get letter to ground affected planes

•Aviation ministry, Customs on warpath over flight ban directive

The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Customs Service to ground 91 private jets belonging to some wealthy Nigerians over their alleged refusal to pay import duties running to over N30bn, documents obtained by The PUNCH have revealed.

As such, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, (retd.) following a directive from the Presidency, has written a letter to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency asking the agencies to ground the affected private jets with immediate effect.

The letter, with reference number NCS/T&T/ACG/042/s.100/VOL.II, which was dated November 2, 2021, was addressed to the Director-General, NCAA, Capt Musa Nuhu.

A copy of the letter, which was obtained by one of our correspondents, was also addressed and sent to the Managing Director, FAAN, Capt Rabiu Yadudu; and the Managing Director, NAMA, Capt Fola Akinkuotu.

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The letter directed the aviation agency regulator (NCAA), the nation’s airspace management agency (NAMA), and airport management agency (FAAN), to ground the private jets by denying them administrative and operational flight clearances indefinitely.

 Findings by our correspondent revealed that the letters were received by the aviation agencies on November 8, 2021.

According to documents sighted by one of our correspondents, the NCS letter to NAMA was delivered with reference code 19755747 by the courier company, while the NCS letter to FAAN was referenced 19755746 by the courier firm.

The NCS letter, which was delivered to the NCAA, was also referenced 19755748 by the courier firm.

It was titled, ‘Recovery of Aviation Import Duty on Privately Owned Aircraft Operating in the Country.’

The NCAA letter read in part, “The Federal Government in its drive for enhanced revenues has mandated the Nigeria Customs Service to immediately recover from defaulting private aircraft owners the required statutory import duties on their imported aircraft.

“You may wish to recall the verification exercise conducted by the NCS, initially scheduled for a 14 day period, but magnanimously extended over a 60-day period from 7th June through 6 August 2021, following a World Press Conference held on 31st May 2021. The outcome of the aforementioned verification exercise is a compilation of all private aircraft imported into the country without payment of statutory import duty.

“The Nigeria Custom Service, in line with its statutory functions, is empowered by Part 111 Sections 27, 35, 37, 45,46, 47, 52, 56,63 & 64; Part XI Sections 144, 145, 155, 160, 161& 164 and Part XII Sections 167, 168, 169, 173 & 174 of the Customs and Excise Management Act.”

It further read, “In this regard therefore, your full cooperation is being solicited to ensure the success of this initiative and that all such private aircraft owners or representatives are denied administrative and operational flight clearances indefinitely, until an NCS issued Aircraft Clearance Certificate is procured and presented to your organisation as proof of compliance.

“For the avoidance of doubt, ALL aircraft operated in accordance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s regulation for the issuance of Permit for Non-Commercial Flight and those issued with Flight Operations Clearance Certificate and Maintenance Clearance Certificate accordingly are affected by this directive.

“Please find attached the list of all verified aircraft and indeed others of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s register, which may not have come forward for your record and necessary action. Strict compliance with this directive is to be ensured. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards and esteem as always.”

Independent findings by our correspondents revealed that some of the 91 private jets directed to be grounded belong to the senior pastors of some popular Pentecostal churches in the country, some Tier-1 banks with one of the banks owning two upmarket jets, the chief executive officers of some indigenous oil companies, and the chairmen of some Tier-1 banks.

“The 91 private jets owe import duties in excess of N30bn and the Federal Government has directed that the Customs must recover this money. This is why we have sent demand notices to the private jet owners,” a Customs source privy to the development told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity.

Findings by our correspondents revealed that the NCS had in March this year embarked on a review of import duties paid on private jets brought into the country since 2006.

Following the alleged  discovery that several private jets owners, under the guise of Temporary Import Permit, had failed to pay the statutory import duty to the coffers of the government, the CG of Customs, Ali, set up a verification panel to review all TIPs and the relevant aircraft import documents of all private jets in the country.

At the end of the 60-day exercise, 57 private jets, which had licences for commercial charter operations, were cleared and issued Aircraft Operators Certificate by the Customs.

However, 29 private jets, whose owners came for the verification were found to be liable to pay the import duty.

The Customs also compiled a list of another 62 private jets whose owners failed to appear for the verification exercise but were found to be liable for import duty payment.

However, other private jets whose owners have commenced the process of paying their import duty have been given a 14-day ultimatum to clear the debts, while the list of the 91 private jets whose owners have yet to present themselves for import duty payment has been presented to the aviation agencies by the NCS for the immediate grounding of their flight operations.

According to independent findings by our correspondents, some of the owners of the 91 jets have written protest letters to the NCS, arguing they cannot pay import duties on the planes because the jets are under lease payments.

The Customs, in its response to the letters, queried the rationale for bringing in the planes and allegedly  fraudulently exporting them under questionable documentation processes in the past 10 years.

However, in a new twist to the development, there are strong indications that the Ministry of Aviation has directed the NCAA, FAAN and NAMA to suspend the grounding of the flight operations of the affected private jets, according to aviation sources.

Sources at the aviation agencies said the aviation ministry had directed the CEOs of the agencies to put the implementation of the NCS directive on hold until a clearance from the ministry was obtained.

The development could not be verified as of press time on Sunday but findings from the control towers and NAMA by The PUNCH revealed that some of the jets were still being cleared to fly.

When contacted on the matter, the Director, Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Dr James Odaudu, told one of our correspondents that he would find out if the letter from the customs was submitted to the ministry.

Odaudu said he was not aware of the position of aviation agencies on the matter and promised to make enquiries from the official who might have received the letter.

He said, “I cannot respond to that now because I don’t have the information. But if the Customs letter is in the ministry, I will find out tomorrow (Monday).

“When I get to the office tomorrow I can find out who is handling it and revert to you.”

Meanwhile, there are indications that the Customs may clash with the aviation ministry over the development as sources said the NCS officers might begin to impound the affected private jets any time soon.

A cursory look at the list of private jets shows that majority of them are upmarket aircraft.

Some of the top brands among the 29 private jets whose owners came for the Customs verification  exercise are: Dassault Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX, Hawker 4000, Bombardier BD 700 1A10, Bombardier Global 5000, Bombardier Global 5500, Bombardier Challenger 605, Gulf Stream Aerospace, Bombardier BD 700,, and Bombardier Challenger 604.

Others are Embraer 505, Bombardier Global 6000, Embraer Legacy 600, Embraer Legacy 650, Bombardier INC CL 600-2B19, Challenger 601 3A-ER, Gulfstream G-IVSP, Gulfstream G450, Gulfstream G550, HS125-B50XP, EMB505 Phenom 300, Cirrus SR 20V, and Hawker 800XP

On October 13, 2021, the NCS had published a list of 57 private jets cleared for commercial charter in a newspaper publication, following the 60-day verification exercise. It also published a list of 29 and 62 private jets liable to pay import duty.

Some of the jets go for over $50m each, according to finding by one of our correspondents.

Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quits Aviation Services Limited, Sam Iwuajoku, had on October 13, 2021, said private jets operating in Nigeria ought not to be requested to pay any further levy.

Iwuajoku reportedly said the NCS ought to know that aircraft registered outside Nigeria does not operate permanently in the country and therefore ought not to pay the tax.

Iwuajoku, whose firm operates the Quits Aviation Services Free Trade Zone, spoke against the backdrop of the publication by the NCS on October 14, 2021, asking private jet owners to pay statutory import duties to the Federal Government.

“The amount of money these aircraft make for the Nigerian government is more than the cost of registration. They pay for their services in dollars, including landing and parking.

“The services they pay for are done in dollars and government agencies are benefiting, so Customs should look at the larger picture. Even if the money is not going to Customs, other government agencies are getting the money. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency is paid by these operators in dollars,” he added.

However, industry stakeholders say there are regulations requiring taxes to be paid on a private jet inasmuch as the aircraft is domiciled in the country or staying for a relatively long period of time, say 60 days or 180 days, depending on the laws of the country.

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, Lagos has assured stakeholders of safety at the parking lot and other facilities at the terminal.

BASL gave the assurance in response to the picture of supposedly cracked pillars at the parking lot trending on social media.

The Group Corporate Affairs Manager, BASL, Mikail Mumuni, in a statement on Sunday said there were no cracked pillars at the parking lot.

He added, “The person who posted the picture is obviously not well informed. This is an expansion joint and not a crack.”

He said, “The expansion joint is a space provided in every substantial structure that enables the building or structure to breathe.

“MMA2 carries out integrity tests regularly on its structure. The tests have consistently shown that the structure is in good shape.”

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, Lagos has assured stakeholders of safety at the parking lot and other facilities at the terminal.

BASL gave the assurance in response to the picture of supposedly cracked pillars at the parking lot trending on social media.

The Group Corporate Affairs Manager, BASL, Mikail Mumuni, in a statement on Sunday said there were no cracked pillars at the parking lot.

He added, “The person who posted the picture is obviously not well informed. This is an expansion joint and not a crack.”

He said, “The expansion joint is a space provided in every substantial structure that enables the building or structure to breathe.

“MMA2 carries out integrity tests regularly on its structure. The tests have consistently shown that the structure is in good shape.”

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Moderna Inc. Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton said he suspects the new omicron coronavirus variant may elude current vaccines, and if so, a reformulated shot could be available early in the new year.  

“We should know about the ability of the current vaccine to provide protection in the next couple of weeks,” Burton said Sunday on the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show.”

“If we have to make a brand new vaccine, I think that’s going to be early 2022 before that’s really going to be available in large quantities,” he said. “The remarkable thing about the mRNA vaccines, the Moderna platform, is that we can move very fast,” he said.  

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company mobilized “hundreds” of staff early on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., after news of the omicron variant spread. 

Protection should still exist, depending on how long ago a person was vaccinated, and for now the best advice is to take one of the current Covid-19 vaccines, Burton said.

How Do mRNA Vaccines Work?: QuickTake  

“If people are on the fence, and you haven’t been vaccinated, get vaccinated,” he said. “This is a dangerous looking virus, but I think we have many tools in our armamentarium now to fight it.”  

The emergence of the omicron strain has seen countries rush to clamp down on travel from southern Africa. Fears that it could exacerbate a winter Covid surge in the northern hemisphere and undermine a global economic recovery sent a wave of risk aversion across global markets Friday that continued Sunday when the Middle East opened for the week. 

Moderna said in a release on Friday that it was working rapidly to test the current vaccine against the omicron variant, and studying two booster candidates.  

“Since early 2021, Moderna has advanced a comprehensive strategy to anticipate new variants of concern,” the company said. “The company has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to advance new candidates to clinical testing in 60 to 90 days.”