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Over the weekend, the UK reversed plans to relax restrictions over Christmas and announced strict closures across much of the country, citing concerns about a variant of the coronavirus believed to be far more infectious.
The alarm over the new variant, which was first identified in south-east England, has left British travelers isolated from much of Europe and other parts of the world as countries imposed travel restrictions from the UK.
While the new Covid-19 variant is believed to originate in England, it has also been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, World Health Organization Covid-19 Technical Director Maria Van said on Sunday. Kerkhove. Researchers are investigating a similar variant of the virus in South Africa, prompting additional travel restrictions from there.
Remember: There is no evidence that the newer variants are more virulent, which means that they do not cause more serious disease. They do not appear to affect the effects of treatments or the protection offered by vaccines.
Here is a list of countries that have banned travel from the UK so far:
- Russia: Russia will suspend flights to and from the UK for a week starting at midnight Moscow time on December 22, state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian coronavirus response headquarters.
- Jordan: The government has decided to suspend all direct and indirect (transit) passenger flights from the UK from Monday until January 3. The news was announced in a statement by the Jordanian government spokesman and Minister of State for Media Affairs Ali Al-Ayed.
- Oman: Oman will close its air, sea and land borders from Tuesday, December 22, for a period of one week to monitor the new variant of coronavirus reported by the United Kingdom., The Omani state news agency reported.
- Argentina: According to a joint statement released on Sunday by Argentina’s Interior and Health Ministries, Argentina will only allow one more flight from Great Britain to land at Buenos Aires International Airport on Monday morning. Subsequent flights were canceled.
- Belgium: Belgium will block travelers from the UK on Monday due to the variant of the coronavirus that has emerged there, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Sunday morning.
- Bulgaria: Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called a working meeting on Sunday with members of his cabinet in response to the new variant, during which it was decided to temporarily suspend air travel between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom from Monday to January 31. his office said.
- Canada: Canada says it will ban most passenger travel from the UK starting at midnight Sunday for at least 72 hours. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the news in a tweet Sunday night saying it was being done to “protect” Canadians across the country.
- Chile: The Chilean government announced that all flights to and from the UK will be suspended from Tuesday and that travelers who have been to the UK in the past 14 days would have to self-quarantine.
- Colombia: Colombian President Iván Duque similarly announced that all flights between Colombia and the UK will be suspended starting Monday. Travelers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days will also need to self-quarantine when entering Colombia, Duque told reporters.
- Czech Republic: The Czech government will suspend flights from the UK from 6am ET on Monday in reaction to the new strain of coronavirus in the UK, a government statement said early Monday.
- The Savior: El Salvador prohibits entry to the country from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
- Estonia: The Estonian government announced on Sunday the suspension of air traffic between Estonia and the United Kingdom, which will take effect at midnight until the end of the year.
- France: French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a 48-hour ban on the movement of people from the UK to France starting Sunday night and applies to all methods of transport.
- Germany: The German government said it plans to restrict travel to and from the UK and South Africa due to the new variant of the coronavirus.
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong will ban all passengers who have stayed in the UK for more than two hours in the past 14 days from arriving in the city from Tuesday, Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said during a press conference on Monday. .
- Iran: Iran announced the suspension of flights to and from the UK for two weeks on Sunday.
- Israel: The Israeli government bans flights from the UK, Denmark and South Africa.
- Italy: Italy is suspending flights between the country and the United Kingdom due to the new Covid-19 variant identified in England, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced on Sunday.
- Kuwait: Kuwait suspended flights arriving from the United Kingdom from Monday.
- Latvia: Latvia suspended travel to and from the UK from December 21 to January 1, the Latvian Transport Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday.
- Lithuania: UK fights will be called off, the prime minister tweeted.
- Luxembourg: Luxembourg temporarily suspended flights from the UK after a new variant of the coronavirus was found there, according to a government statement on Sunday.
- Netherlands: The Netherlands will ban all passenger flights from the UK.
- Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland will ban flights from Britain on Monday and Tuesday, the government announced on Sunday.
- Peru: Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti announced a two-week ban on flights arriving from Europe in a national address Monday morning. Sagasti also prohibited foreigners from coming to Peru if they have been in the UK for the past two weeks.
- Sweden: Sweden bans travel from the UK, the country’s foreign minister said on Sunday.
- Turkey: Turkey has banned flights from the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Netherlands and Denmark, the country’s state agency Anadolu reported late Sunday.
The following countries have not banned travel but do impose restrictions:
- Greece: Greece will impose a 7-day quarantine on all travelers arriving from the UK from Monday due to concerns about the new Covid-19 variant identified in the UK, the Greek Civil Protection department announced on Sunday.
- Portugal: Portugal has imposed restrictions on flights from the UK. Only Portuguese citizens will be able to travel, and they must have a negative Covid-19 test, according to the country’s interior minister.
- Spain: Spain announced that it is beefing up airports to verify PCR testing for people arriving from the UK, according to a government tweet on Sunday.
Scientists at Walter Reed in the US still hope the vaccine will be effective against this new variant, said Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Infectious Disease Research Center at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute. Walter Reed scientists said they hope to know in the next few days if there are concerns that the coronavirus vaccines will not work against them.
