Fearing new, highly contagious strain, EU nations ban UK flights

The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Austria announce restrictions, Germany says they may too

Several European Union nations on Sunday banned flights from the UK and Germany was considering such curbs to make sure that a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England does not establish a strong foothold on the continent.

A medical worker gets vaccinated in Jerusalem on Sunday. Israel begins its inoculation drive, aiming to vaccinate some 60,000 people daily with Pfizer and Moderna shots. PIC/AFP

The Netherlands banned flights from the UK for at least the rest of the year, while Belgium issued a flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight and also halted train links to Britain. Austria and Italy said they would halt flights from the UK but did not give details on any timing of the ban.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Twitter that the government was preparing the measure “to protect Italians” from the new coronavirus variant. About two dozen flights were scheduled to arrive in Italy on Sunday, most in the northern region of Lombardy but also in Veneto and Lazio, which include Venice and Rome, respectively.

German officials, meanwhile, were considering “serious options” regarding incoming flights from the UK, but have not yet taken action. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Sunday said he was issuing the flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight “out of precaution.” “There are a great many questions about this new mutation and if it is not already on the mainland,” he said. He hoped to have more clarity by Tuesday.

Studies are under way to better understand how fast it spreads and and whether “it’s related to the variant itself, or a combination of factors with behavior,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19.

Thousands get tested in Thailand

Thousands of people lined up for coronavirus tests in a province near Bangkok on Sunday, as Thai authorities scrambled to contain an outbreak of the virus that has infected nearly 700 people. Thailand on Sunday reported 141 more cases. The new outbreak has been traced to a 67-year-old shrimp vendor at the seafood market.

Sydney struggles

The outbreak in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 70 cases with an additional 30 in the last 24 hours, and authorities say they may never be able to trace the source. A new list of cases shows the virus had spread to greater Sydney and other parts of the state.

5,79,642
Total no. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

7,48,79,038
Total no. of cases worldwide

16,88,140
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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