The new strain of the coronavirus that was discovered in the UK has forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce another lockdown despite plans to ease restrictions during the Christmas period. The new strain can reportedly be transmitted from one person to another much faster than the previous one and it might even compromise vaccines if they are not effective against it.
The UK currently has 2,046,161 confirmed coronavirus infections and the death toll is 67,503, as per Johns Hopkins University.
Since the discovery, several countries have suspended flights, trains and other modes of transport from the United Kingdom in fear of another widespread crisis from the virus.
Here are the countries that have done so:
1. Poland: A spokesperson for the Polish government announced via Twitter that flights from the UK were to be suspended from Monday over virus fears.
2. France: France announced on Sunday that it will suspend all travel from Britain for 48 hours from midnight. This includes goods transport via road, air, sea or rail. Only unaccompanied freight would be allowed inside French borders.
3. Germany: German Health Minister Jens Spahn said that the country was suspending all flights from the UK for 48 hours from midnight on Sunday. Only cargo flights would be exempt from this measure.
4. Italy: Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said that he had signed a decree that will block flights from England and will prohibit anyone who has stayed there during the last 14 days from entering Italy. One person has already been infected with the new strain.
5. Ireland: Ireland said in a statement that all flights arriving from Britain from midnight Sunday would be banned for at least 48 hours.
6. The Netherlands: The Dutch government has said that all passenger flights from Britain to the Netherlands would be banned until January 1. The country has reported one person with the new strain.
7. Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that all flights from the UK would be suspended for 72 hours and he instructed those recently returned from the country to take advanced safety measures.
8. Iran: Iran’s health ministry has ordered flights from Britain suspended for two weeks, as per state news agency IRNA.
9. Israel: A joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Health Ministry said that Israel was suspending all flights from the UK, Denmark and South Africa.
10. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that it was halting all flights and suspending entry through its land and seaports for at least a week, with the option to extend for a further week. The ones who have arrived from Europe or anywhere where the strain was detected have been instructed to self-isolate for two weeks and undergo testing.
11. Kuwait: Kuwait has added Britain to a list of “high-risk” nations and banned flights.
12. El Salvador: President Nayib Bukele announced via Twitter that anyone who had been in Britain or South Africa in the past 30 days would not be allowed to enter the country.
13. Argentina: Argentina suspended all flights from the UK, the government said in a statement on Sunday. The last flight would arrive on Monday.
14. Chile: Chile announced that they would be suspending all flights from the UK starting Tuesday. A government statement also said that anyone without a residence permit or who had been in Britain during the past couple of weeks would not be allowed to enter the country.
15. Morocco: Morocco banned all flights to the United Kingdom beginning on Sunday.
16. Belgium: Belgium has banned flights from the UK for 24 hours.
17. Finland: Finland has suspended flights from the UK for two weeks.
18. Switzerland: Switzerland has banned flights from Britain until further notice.
19. Bulgaria: Bulgaria has suspended flights from the UK from Sunday midnight until January 31.
20. Romania: Romania has banned all flights to and from the UK for two weeks, beginning on Monday afternoon.
21. Croatia: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the country would “temporarily suspend passenger air traffic from the UK for 48 hours”.
22. Rest of Europe: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have suspended flights from the UK.
