The list of countries banning travel to the UK continues to grow as the country attempts to beat a new strain of the virus.
Growing List Of Countries Banning Britain Travel
As soon as news of the new COVID-19 strain in the UK emerged, countries around the world declared bans on travels from Britain.
Late Sunday the list grew further as Iran's health ministry suspended flights to the country for two weeks. Israel followed suit - adding Britain to its travel ban list.
In El Salvador, people who were in Britain within the past 30 days will be barred from entry. Kuwait named the UK as one of the "high-risk" nations. Countries on the high-risk-nation list will be banned from entering Kuwait.
Turkey and Morocco banned flights from Britain while Canada became the latest country to stop travel from the country.
London Tier-4 Lockdown
On Saturday, Heath Secretary Matt Hancock said a new COVID-19 variant was "out of control" - prompting the government to impose a tier-4 lockdown in London and parts of southeastern England.
A day later Britain recorded its highest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases at 35,928.
Tier-4 restrictions are expected to put a dent in holiday plans. The latest lockdown is similar to the one imposed during the spring. This time, though, there is no chance of households mixing during the holidays.
While Londoners are restricted from household mixing on Christmas Day, areas with lower alert levels such as Scotland, Wales and other parts of England will be permitted to gather Dec. 25 only.
What Is Known About The New Strain?
Not much. The new COVID-19 strain is now the most common form of the virus in some parts of England. However, government advisers said they had "moderate" confidence it could be transmitted "faster" than other variants.
The new UK strain has raised concerns among health experts and medical practitioners owing to its seemingly fast movement.
First detected in September, the new strain quickly accounted for almost a quarter of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in London last month. By the first two weeks of December, the new variant made up for almost two-thirds of cases in the city.
Studies are in the early stages. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the strain may be transmissible by up to 70%.
Italy Patient
Italy's health ministry announced Sunday that it has detected a patient who contracted the new variant found in the UK.
The patient is in isolation after arriving at Rome's Fiumicino airport. The patient and his partner returned from the UK in the past week. It is unclear whether contact tracing will be implemented on other passengers of the flight.
Italy is one of the countries that banned flights for travelers who were in Britain over the past two weeks.
