A highly contagious new variant of the coronavirus is causing countries in Europe and elsewhere to block travel from Britain.
The U.K. last week warned of a new coronavirus variant that is thought to be up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain of the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, the new variant has so far been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.
News of the strain forced the British government to backtrack on plans to let families mix over Christmas, locking down London and other areas in southern England where infections by the Covid mutation are heavily concentrated.
Over the weekend, several countries announced plans to shut their borders to Britain. In Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands have all barred flights from the U.K., while Austria and Sweden are reportedly preparing to do the same.
JUST IN—Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands announced bans on travel to UK ????????—France, Germany & Ireland likely soon to follow, because of new UK #SARSCoV2 mutation of the virus appears to speed its transmission. Will
US???????? travel ban to UK be next? https://t.co/e0FE30Xmp8— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 20, 2020
Source: CNBC