The United Kingdom has shut its borders to travellers or visitors from South Africa. UK has banned entry from the African Nation amid concern about a variant of COVID-19 linked to the country.
The variant was found in London and north-west England, among contacts of persons with whom the South African travelers had been in contact. At a downing street press briefing on Wednesday, health secretary Hancock said the new variant linked to South Africa was “highly concerning.”
People who have been-in or transited through South Africa in the last 10 days are not allowed into the UK. British and Irish nationals are exempted, but they will have to self-isolate.
The department for transport says the ban reflects an “increased risk” from the new variant, but will be kept under review.
UK visa holders and permanent residents arriving from South Africa will not be affected, but they will be required to self-isolate.
The government has already ordered anyone in the UK who has travelled to South Africa in the past two weeks, and those with whom they have been in contact, to quarantine immediately, along with their households.
The travel ban comes into effect today, Christmas Eve. The government says six million more persons in England will be moved into the highest tier four restrictions on boxing day.
South Africa found a new COVID-19 variant that shares some similarities with another new COVID-19 variant that was detected in the UK. They have evolved separately. They both have a mutation called n-five-zero-one-y.
More than 50 countries, including Germany, Italy, India and Pakistan, have continued to block travellers from the UK. On Thursday, China became the latest country to suspend flights to and from the UK.
