EU Countries Agree to Suspend Travel to Southern Africa Over Coronavirus

European Union (EU) member states have agreed to temporarily suspend travel from southern Africa after the detection of the new Covid variant.

This evening, the WHO classified the new Covid strain as a "variant of concern".

A committee of health experts from the bloc's 27 states agreed upon the need to activate the "emergency break" and impose temporary restrictions on all travel into the EU from southern Africa.

The news was confirmed on Twitter by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Meanwhile, the United States said it will restrict entry to travellers from eight southern African countries over concerns about the new variant, President Joe Biden said today.

The policy does not ban flights or apply to US citizens and permanent residents, a White House official said.

The restrictions will be effective from Monday and apply to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

Canada banned arrivals from seven African countries - Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe - over concerns about the spread of the new Covid strain.

Earlier, the European Commission recommended that EU countries suspend travel from southern Africa in response to the new variant.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said the move would help "limit the spread" of the variant, recommending all air travel to affected countries be suspended until more is known about the new strain.

A committee of health experts from all 27 EU states "agreed on the need to activate the emergency break and impose temporary restriction on all travel into EU from southern Africa", the Slovenian presidency of the EU said on Twitter.

Restrictions will apply to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer said on Twitter.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen this morning to discuss the Europe-wide response to the new Covid variant.

The WHO's Special Envoy on Covid-19 said it is appropriate to be concerned about the new variant.

"My own view is that really it is appropriate to be concerned about this," Dr David Nabarro told the BBC.

"I'll tell you why: The virus looks like it will have greater capacity to evade the defences that we've all built up as a result of the vaccinations we've received since the beginning of this year."

November 26, 2021