While some countries have decided to ban flights from the UK, some are still mulling the action after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Saturday that a new strain of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has spread. it is spreading rapidly in certain areas. During a televised briefing, Johnson said the new variant of the coronavirus is 70% more transmittable than existing strains.
“There is still a lot we don’t know. While we are fairly confident that the variant spreads faster, there is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes a more serious illness, ”said the UK Prime Minister.
Johnson announced that London, parts of the southeast and east of England, which were under Level 3 restrictions, have been moved to Level 4. Before the announcement, Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said there is no evidence to suggest that the new variant of coronavirus causes a higher mortality rate or affects vaccines and treatments, however, urgent work is being done to confirm this.
“We have alerted the World Health Organization and continue to analyze available data to improve our understanding,” Whitty said in a statement.
Read also | Covid-19 is ‘out of control’ in UK, says British health secretary Hancock
Here’s how other countries have reacted to the threat of a new strain of virus:
Netherlands: The European nation announced a ban on all UK passenger flights, which went into effect on Sunday and will last until January 1. The Dutch government said it will evaluate with other EU nations the “possibilities of containing the importation of the virus” from the UK.
Belgium: The government issued a flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight and also stopped train links to Great Britain. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Sunday he was issuing the flight ban “out of a precaution.” “There are many questions about this new mutation and if it is not yet on the continent,” he said.
Italy: Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio said Italy plans to suspend flights to and from the UK for fear of the new strain of coronavirus. “As a government, we have a duty to protect Italians, therefore, after having notified the British government, with the Ministry of Health we are about to sign the provision to suspend flights with Great Britain,” Di Maio wrote on Facebook. . Send.
Germany: The German government is also reportedly mulling over the decision to ban flights from Britain, as a high-ranking official told the dpa news agency that restrictions on flights from the UK are one ” serious option. “
Israel: The Israeli government has reportedly decided on a mandatory two-week quarantine for all arrivals from the UK, South Africa and Denmark. According to a local Haaretz newspaper, people arriving from these three countries must undergo two negative coronavirus tests, one on arrival and a second after nine days, if they want to reduce the quarantine period to 10 days.
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