because it was unexpected. they were unprepared and people did panic. you can see some of the images we are receiving now and we mentioned that an air plane with aid has arrived and landed at the airport which was covered, the runway was covered in ash and there was a huge job to clear the runway so that aircraft could land. a real shame we could not hear michaela clearly and hear her account but we will try again later. south africa found itself at the forefront of the latest covid wave caused by the 0micron variant late last year, now scientists in the country are confident it is on the way out. but they also accuse the developed world of ignoring its advice that the variant was less harmful than feared, blaming western scepticism. and while the future of the virus still remains uncertain, the signs from south africa are good news for the rest of the world. 0ur africa correspondent, andrew harding sent this report from johannesburg.
africa, but from a country such as south africa, but when we talk about omicron, africa, but when we talk about omicron, they shot the borders to south omicron, they shot the borders to south africa and were keen to south africa and were keen to absorb to south africa and were keen to absorb that bad news when we provide to absorb that bad news when we provide good news all of a sudden provide good news all of a sudden there s a lot of scepticism. in sudden there s a lot of scepticism. sudden there s a lot of sceticism. ., g ., . , , scepticism. in a johannesburg bar, business scepticism. in a johannesburg bar, business as scepticism. in a johannesburg bar, business as usual. - scepticism. in a johannesburg bar, business as usual. southj bar, business as usual. south africa has managed omicron without any new restrictions without any new restrictions with a push to increase vaccine rates. it with a push to increase vaccine rates. , ., ., , , rates. it is going to be bet
virus wants to do. becoming more like virus wants to do. becoming more like a virus wants to do. becoming more like a seasonal- virus wants to do. becoming more like a seasonal flu? i virus wants to do. becoming i more like a seasonal flu? yes. south african more like a seasonal flu? yes. south african scientists - south african scientists studying 0micron have been quick to share their analysis with the rest of the world. but has the world listen? to date, some of south africa s top scientists are speaking out in frustration, accusing wealthier western nations have been to believe bad news from the continent but far too slow to trust more positive evidence emerging about 0micron. i emerging about omicron. i thought that there was too much scepticism. the world was not willing to believe that this virus was somehow going to be less severe. everybody was expecting the worst and when they went seeing it they were questioning whether our observations were sufficiently scientifically