“IATA is committed to working with global partners, including the WHO and ICAO, to implement new best practices and guidance, and ensure a more resilient and successful approach to managing and safeguarding public health and wellbeing in future years.” says IATA Deputy Director-General Conrad Clifford.
GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) responded to an announcement from the Director General of the World Health Organization on the conclusion of the fifteenth assembly of the International Health Regulations, through which he declared that COVID was not a public well being emergency of worldwide concern (PHEIC).
IATA Deputy Director-General Conrad Clifford mentioned: “It is sweet information that the WHO has formally acknowledged that COVID not represents a public well being emergency of worldwide concern. Recent choices, for instance by the Chinese and US governments to calm down the final remaining COVID restrictions on journey, are proof that the world is doing its greatest to get again to regular. But it’s important that we always remember what a horrible catastrophe the pandemic has been. Most of all it was a tragedy for households that misplaced family members, however it has additionally been an financial and social catastrophe on a scale and with penalties that also stay to be correctly understood. That is why it’s so vital to be taught the teachings of this pandemic to ensure that we’re higher ready to handle future well being emergencies with a lot much less destruction of lives and livelihoods.
From a journey perspective, we all know that the dearth of scientific foundation, consistency or clear communication of the restrictions introduced in by governments meant that lots of them had little influence on the unfold of the virus, however exacerbated the distress brought on to hundreds of thousands of people that may not go to their households or pursue their enterprise. And for aviation, that meant hundreds of thousands of jobs in danger and international air connectivity set again by years. Therefore, it’s important governments heed the teachings from COVID – what labored, and what didn’t work. Decisions taken in the course of the subsequent international public well being emergency ought to be constant, grounded in science, risk-assessed, and nicely communicated.
Equally, recognizing the very important function that aviation has performed in guaranteeing the motion of vaccines, medicines, tools and medical professionals, governments ought to make all efforts to keep up international air connectivity and provide chains and to designate aviation personnel as key employees quite than being topic to harsh quarantine restrictions.
Better preparedness would require more practical collaboration, for instance between governments and trade and between aviation and well being sectors. IATA is dedicated to working with international companions, together with the WHO and ICAO, to implement new greatest practices and steering, and guarantee a extra resilient and profitable method to managing and safeguarding public well being and wellbeing in future years.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his duties embrace enterprise improvement and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term alternatives.