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Countries around the world have imposed travel restrictions from the UK due to fears of a new strain of the coronavirus.
Are:
- The Netherlands has banned flights with UK passengers until January 1.
- Belgium has banned flights and train travel from the UK for 24 hours and more clarity is expected on Tuesday.
- Italy has banned air passengers from Great Britain until January 6 and also anyone who has transited the UK in the previous 14 days. Residents of Italy will still be able to leave Britain to return home.
- Austria has banned flights from the UK, but the length of the measure is unclear.
- Germany bans flights from the UK for an unspecified duration
- Spain will cut flights if there is no joint EU response to the threat posed by the new strain of the virus
- Portugal says that only the Portuguese and residents of the country can arrive from the UK. Everyone must show proof of a negative COVID test, which can be accessed at airports
- Bulgaria suspends flights from the UK until January 31
- France will ban entry for 48 hours (starting Sunday night) to those coming from the UK (and accompanied cargo) by road, air, sea or rail.
- Sweden is preparing to ban entry from the UK, but details are still unclear
- Turkey suspends flights from the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands, with the latter two countries among those where the new strain has also been found.
- Canada bans flights from the UK for 72 hours
- Saudi Arabia has suspended all international flights for travelers for a week
- Israel has banned all non-Israelis flying from the UK, including those who transited the UK. Israelis arriving from the UK will have to be isolated in a designated hotel for two weeks.
- El Salvador has banned travelers who have been in the UK in the previous 30 days, including transit.
- Ireland has banned flights and ferries from the UK for 48 hours
- The Czech Republic says arrivals who have spent at least 24 hours in UK territory should be isolated
- Colombia, Morocco, Chile, Finland, Denmark and Argentina have also banned UK travelers
A government spokesman said it was in contact with its European partners about the travel restrictions, but it was not immediately clear when or for how long they would last.
An EU crisis meeting has been called for Monday to discuss the coordination of the coronavirus response among the 27 member states.
Boris Johnson said the new fast-moving variant of the virus, which he added, is believed to be 70% more transmissible than existing strains, appears to be driving a rapid spread of new infections.
The prime minister put London and much of the South East, where the new strain is most prevalent, into a Level 4 lockdown over the Christmas period in a bid to get the disease back under control.
Viruses mutate regularly and scientists have found thousands of different mutations among samples of the virus that causes COVID-19.
But many of these changes have no effect on how easily the virus spreads or the severity of symptoms.
Britain has alerted the World Health Organization to the new variant, saying it accounts for around 60% of London cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the country faces a “huge challenge”, adding that the mutation was “out of control” and could see areas trapped at Level 4 until the UK’s most vulnerable have been vaccinated.
The new variant has spread to all regions of England, as well as parts of Scotland and Wales. It has been seen in some European countries and even as far away as South Africa and Australia.
In Australia, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said two travelers who returned from the UK and tested positive for COVID-19 were found to carry the mutated variant of the virus.
