Both the Netherlands and Belgium have suspended flights. Trains to Belgium have also been banned.
Italy's foreign minister has indicated his government plans to ban flights. France and Germany are reportedly planning similar action.
The new variant has spread fast in London and south-East England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday introduced a new tier four level of restrictions, scrapping a planned relaxation of rules over the Christmas period for millions of people.
Top health officials said that there was no evidence the new variant was more deadly, or would react differently to vaccines, but it was proving to be up to 70% more transmissible....
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Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio, announcing plans to halt flights to and from Britain, said: "Our priority is to protect Italy and our compatriots."
ReplyDeleteGermany could impose restrictions on flights from the United Kingdom and South Africa - which has also detected a new coronavirus strain - a German Health Ministry said.
ReplyDeleteSpain said that in response to the moves by some of its European Union partners, it had asked the European Commission and the European Council for a coordinated community response to the new situation.
ReplyDeleteViruses change all the time. Seasonal influenza mutates every year, so it was of little surprise to scientists that variants of COVID-19 have been detected since the pandemic started.
ReplyDeleteBut in recent days, concerns have grown over a new strain identified in the United Kingdom.
In London, 62 percent of cases were due to the new variant in the week of December 9. That compares with 28 percent three weeks earlier.
DeleteScotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter that cases of the mutant strain were lower in Scotland “than the rest of the UK,” but warned, “preventative action may be necessary to stop the faster-spreading strain taking hold.”
DeleteMore than 67,000 people have died of COVID-19 to date in the UK, making it one of Europe’s worst-hit along with Italy.