UK to ban travelers from six African countries over new variant

British scientists are "very concerned" by this variant, to which South Africa attributes the recent increase in cases recorded in the country (illustration image) AFP - PHILL MAGAKOE

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The United Kingdom announced Thursday that it will ban entry to travelers from six African countries, after South Africa announced the discovery of a new variant of Covid-19 with multiple mutations.

South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe are particularly concerned.

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Health Secretary Sajid Javid said all flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana would be suspended as of 12 p.m. UT on Friday.

“

 The first indications we have of this variant are that it may be more transmissible than the Delta variant and that the vaccines we currently have may be less effective,

 ” explained Sajid Javid.

According to him, British scientists are "

 very concerned

 " by this variant, to which South Africa attributes the recent increase in cases recorded in the country and which has also been detected in travelers from Botswana or Hong Kong.

However, no case has been recorded in Great Britain.

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To read also: Covid-19: a new variant detected in South Africa

" 

We will ask anyone arriving from these countries from 4 am Sunday to quarantine themselves in hotels, 

" said the Secretary of State for Health, adding that those arriving before this date will have to self-isolate and do two PCR tests on the second and eighth day of their confinement. "

 And if someone has arrived from these countries in the last ten days, we will ask them to do PCR tests

 ," he added.

Great Britain has been among the countries hardest hit by Covid-19, with 144,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The number of cases remains high - more than 47,000 in the past 24 hours on Thursday - but more than 80% of people aged 12 and over have received a double injection of the vaccine, and almost 30% have had a third dose.

The UK government has been widely criticized for being slow to tighten travel restrictions at the start of the pandemic, when it kept its borders open as infection rates skyrocketed.

(with AFP)

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