Over the weekend, the United Kingdom reversed plans to loosen restrictions over Christmas and announced strict lockdowns across much of the country, citing concerns about a variant of the coronavirus believed to be much more infectious.
Alarm over the new variant, which was first identified in the southeast of England, has resulted in British travelers being cut off from much of Europe and other parts of the world as countries imposed restrictions on travel from the UK.
While the new variant of Covid-19 is believed to originate in England, it has also been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and in Australia, World Health Organization Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said on Sunday. Researchers are investigating a similar variant of the virus in South Africa, prompting additional travel restrictions from there.
Remember: No evidence the new variants are any more virulent, meaning they do not cause more severe disease. They do not appear to affect the effects of treatments or the protection offered by vaccines
Here's a list of countries that have banned travel from the UK so far:
- Russia: Russia is suspending flights to and from the UK for a week starting midnight, Moscow time on Dec. 22, state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported citing Russian coronavirus response headquarters.
- Jordan: The government has decided to suspend all direct and indirect (transit) passenger flights from the United Kingdom starting Monday and lasting through Jan. 3. The news was announced in a statement from Jordanian Government spokesperson and Minister of State for Media Affairs Ali Al-Ayed
- Oman: Oman will shut down its air, sea and land borders starting Tuesday Dec. 22, for a period of one week to monitor the new variant of coronavirus reported by the United Kingdom, Oman state news agency reported.
- Argentina: According to a joint statement published Sunday by the Argentinian Health and Interior Ministries, Argentina will only allow one more flight from Britain to land at the international airport in Buenos Aires on Monday morning. Later flights have been canceled.
- Belgium: Belgium will block travelers from the United Kingdom on Monday because of the coronavirus variant that has emerged there, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Sunday morning.
- Bulgaria: Prime Minister Boyko Borissov convened 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 starting Monday until Jan. 31, his office said.
- Canada: Canada says it will ban most passenger travel from the UK beginning 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 beginning on Tuesday, and that travelers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days would have to self-quarantine.
- Colombia: Colombian President Ivan Duque similarly announced that all flights between Colombia and the UK will be suspended, starting on Monday. Travelers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days will also have to self-quarantine upon entering Colombia, Duque told reporters.
- Czech Republic: The Czech government is halting flights from the UK as of 6 a.m. ET Monday in reaction to the new variant of the coronavirus in the UK, a government statement said early Monday.
- El Salvador: El Salvador bans anyone entering the country from UK and South Africa.
- Estonia: The government of Estonia announced a suspension of air traffic between Estonia and the UK on Sunday, which goes into 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 applying to all methods of transport.
- Germany: The German government said it is planning to restrict travel to and from the UK and South Africa because of the new coronavirus variant.
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong will ban all passengers who stayed in the United Kingdom for more than two hours in the past 14 days from arriving in the city starting Tuesday, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said during a Monday press conference.
- Iran: Iran announced the suspension of flights to and from the UK for two weeks on Sunday.
- Israel: Israel’s government bans flights from 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 Minister for Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio announced on Sunday.
- Kuwait: Kuwait suspended flights arriving from the United Kingdom starting Monday.
- Latvia: Latvia has suspended travel to and from the UK from December 21 to January 1, the Latvian Ministry of Transportation announced in a statement on Sunday.
- Lithuania: Fights from the UK will be suspended, Teh prime Minister tweeted.
- Luxembourg: Luxembourg has temporarily suspended flights from the UK after a new variant of coronavirus was found there, according to a government statement Sunday.
- Netherlands: The Netherlands will ban all passenger flights coming from the United Kingdom.
- Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland is banning flights from Britain on Monday and Tuesday, the government announced Sunday.
- Peru: Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti announced a two-week ban on flights arriving from Europe in a national address Monday morning. Sagasti also banned foreigners from coming to Peru if they have been in the United Kingdom for the last two weeks.
- Sweden: Sweden banning travel from the UK, the country’s Foreign Minister said on Sunday.
- Turkey: Turkey has banned flights from the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands and Denmark, the country’s state-owned Anadolu Agency reported late Sunday.
The following countries have not banned travel but are imposing restrictions:
- Greece: Greece will impose a 7-day quarantine to all travelers arriving from the United Kingdom starting Monday over concerns about the new Covid-19 variant identified in the UK, the Greek Civil Protection department announced Sunday.
- Portugal: Portugal has imposed restrictions on flights from UK. Only Portuguese nationals will be allowed to travel, and they must have a negative Covid-19 test, according to the country’s Interior Minister.
- Spain: Spain announced it is reinforcing airports to verify PCR tests for people arriving from the UK, according to a tweet from the government on Sunday.
Walter Reed scientists in the US still expect the vaccine will be effective against this new variant, said Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The Walter Reed scientists said they expect to know in the next few days if there's a concern that the coronavirus vaccines might not work against it.
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December 22, 2020 at 02:12AM
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