Quarantine destroys livelihoods, testing alternative method, IATA tells Africa, Middle East

• Africa remained lock-down despite border-opening

Despite borders being re-opened, Nigeria, Africa and many parts of Middle East remain effectively lockdown just as 35 countries in Africa and Middle East have government-imposed quarantine measures in place according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The clearing house for about 290 global airlines has however called on governments in the regions to implement testing as an alternative to quarantine measures when re-opening their economies.

It noted that there is an increase of seven countries since August that have government-imposed quarantine measure in place rather than testing.

IATA lamented that the impact is that the region effectively remains in lockdown despite borders being open, adding that recent public opinion research showed that 88% of travelers would not even consider traveling if quarantine measures were imposed on travelers at their destination.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East. Muhammad Albakri said mandatory quarantine measures stop people from traveling.

“We understand that governments’ priority is on protecting the well–being of their citizens. Quarantine destroys livelihoods. Testing is an alternative method that will also save travel and tourism jobs. Travelers support testing”.

The latest IATA survey of passenger attitudes, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shows 72% of people surveyed agreed that those who test negative for COVID should not have to quarantine, and that 80% of people feel that COVID-19 is sufficiently under control in the country to open borders.

Quarantines, closed borders and travel restrictions continue to decimate travel demand in Africa and the Middle East.

Traffic levels in Africa and the Middle East saw the largest drop of all regions in July compared to 2019 levels. Total passenger traffic in Africa in July 2020 was 93.7% below 2019 levels and in the Middle East 95.5% below 2019 levels.

Aviation supported more than 6.2 million jobs and $56 billion in GDP in Africa and 2.4 million jobs and $130 billion in GDP in the Middle East pre-COVID-19.

The economic impact of the collapse in air traffic in 2020 due to COVID-19 could be 3.5 million lost jobs and $35 billion in GDP in Africa and 1.5 million lost jobs and $85 billion in GDP Middle East.

“Testing provides a safe alternative to quarantine and a solution to stop the economic and social devastation being caused by COIVID-19,” said said Albakri.

This is coming as IATA disclosed last week that the weight of the coronavirus crisis on air travel could cost the Nigerian and other African economies 3.5 million aviation jobs, triggering a contraction of continental Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $35 billion in 2020, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday.

Until the pandemic outbreak, aviation’s contribution to African labour force and GDP  topped 6.2 million jobs and $56 billion respectively.

In its commentary on aviation business in Africa and the Middle East, the IATA noted that air traffic in Africa and the Middle East witnessed the most fall of all regions in July relative to 2019 levels, with passenger traffic crashing by as much as 93.7% year on year.

It recommended that testing be adopted in place of widespread quarantine measures as the two regions reopened their economies in order to revitalise aviation operations.

Between August and now, the number of countries that had embraced quarantine measures leapt from 7 to 35, causing bigger disruption to air travel, the IATA said.

“The impact is that the region effectively remains in lockdown despite borders being open. Recent public opinion research showed that 88% of travellers would not even consider traveling if quarantine measures were imposed on travellers at their destination,” the Montreal-based association said on its website.

Wole Shadare