The World Health Organization is expected to convene an emergency meeting today to discuss the potentially rapidly spreading coronavirus strain found in South Africa and Botswana. According to scientists, the heavily mutated variant known as B.1.1529 might make vaccines less effective and scuttle efforts to fight the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, alarmed countries, including the UK, Israel have banned flights from most African countries.  

“Due to the new Covid variant, which South Africa attributed to a surge in cases and had also been detected in travellers from the country in Botswana and Hong Kong, a decision had been taken to suspend all flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana as a precaution,” said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid in a statement.