Face to the decisions that have been taken by several European countries and others to seal off airports to countries in the southern region due to the spread of the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the World Health Organization has called for borders to remain open.

The "WHO stands with African countries and calls for borders to remain open," the UN agency said in a statement, calling on countries to adopt "a scientific approach" based on "risk assessment."

According to the WHO, "it is crucial that countries that are transparent with their data are supported," as "it is the only way" to ensure that "important data" is received "in a timely manner."

The WHO on Friday classified the new variant of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 as a variant "of concern" and named it Omicron, named after a letter in the Greek alphabet.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control believes that Omicron raises "serious concerns that it may significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and increase the risk of reinfection."

It is reported that the new strain, initially detected in South Africa, has now been identified in several countries and, according to the WHO, appears to pose an increased risk of reinfection compared to other variants of concern in circulation, such as Delta, which is dominant worldwide and the most contagious to date.