Over 40 Countries Have Now Banned UK Travel Over New Covid Variant

The UK recently identified a new variant of the coronavirus and it is spreading quickly around the country. It was first discovered in the middle of October from a sample taken in September. The World Health Organization says the same mutation has also been detected in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia. UK’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that the new variant of the virus, which may be up to 70% more transmissible, is “getting out of control”. But, while the new variant spreads faster, so far there is no evidence that it might be more deadly, or that it would react differently to vaccines.

The news has still sparked fears around the globe, and more countries are now banning UK travel. Previously it was just a handful of counties in Europe, but now the list has grown to over 40.

They list includes at least 18 countries in the European Union, as well as Russia, India, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Peru. France completely shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, BBC reports. The United States is not part of that list for now.

US Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir told CNN that as of Monday morning, there weren’t plans for US restrictions on travel to or from the UK because of the new coronavirus variant, but “everything is possible, we just need to put everything on the table, have an open scientific discussion and make a best recommendation.”