Some European countries are imposing travel restrictions on the UK, citing concerns after the United Kingdom and the World Health Organization said they had identified a new variant of COVID-19 in England.
News management: Italy and Austria became the last countries on Sunday to restrict flights from the UK, joining the Netherlands and Belgium, according to Sky News.
- Dutch officials have implemented restrictions after identifying at least one case of the same variant in the Netherlands. The ban is expected to be in place at least until the new year.
- Belgium will block air travel and trains on Monday, its prime minister told a CNN affiliate.
- Italy and Austria have not specified the timing of the bans.
What to look for: France and Germany are expected to implement similar flight bans, Sky reports.
The background: About 21 million people entered restrictions of complete blockade in London, south-east and east England and Wales on Sunday to stop the spread of the new coronavirus strain.
For registration: WHO posted on Twitter that he is in “close contact” with British officials about the new option.
- “They will continue to share information and results of the ongoing analysis and studies. We will update Member States and the public as we learn more about the characteristics of this variant of the virus and any implications,” the tweet said.