Kerry priest living in South Africa says travel ban was an overreaction

A Kerry priest living in South Africa says the EU’s travel ban was an overreaction.

Father Jerry Browne, who's originally from Mountcoal, is based in Port Elizabeth, a city on the south-eastern coast.

Following the identification of the Omicron variant in South Africa, the European Union and the United States imposed travel bans on South Africa and seven neighbouring countries.

The strain has been identified in numerous EU countries since.

Father Browne says there’s anger in South Africa due to a belief the country is being punished for bringing the variant to light. He was asked if he thinks there’s an underlying, unconscious racism at play.