EU to ban flights from southern Africa as concerns over new COVID variant pop up

On Friday, European Union countries announced plans to halt air travel from southern Africa to combat the spread of a new COVID variant. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that she proposed to activate the emergency brake to prohibit air travel from the southern African region. Von der Leyen's suggestion, according to Germany, might be implemented as early as Friday night.

The novel coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa is causing concern among scientists due to its high number of mutations and quick dissemination among young individuals in Gauteng, the country's most populous province. Due to the situation, Jens Spahn, who is the Federal Minister of Germany for Health, stated that planes returning from South Africa will only be able to transport German residents, and they will be required to spend 14 days in quarantine.

Procedures to prevent anyone from entering the country

Also, Italy's Health Ministry has issued procedures to prevent the entry of those individuals who have spent the previous 14 days in one of seven southern African countries, which includes, South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia or Eswatini. Similar steps are being considered in the Netherlands.

The UK also declared that flights from South Africa and five other southern African nations would be prohibited starting at noon on Friday and that everyone who had just arrived from those countries would be required to take a coronavirus test.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid believes that the new form may be more transmissible than the prevailing delta variant, and the existing vaccines might be less effective against it. The new COVID variant, now known as B.1.1.529, has been discovered in visitors from South Africa in Botswana and Hong Kong.

Coronavirus infections increased by 11% in Europe last week

The World Health Organization's (WHO) technical working committee will meet on Friday to analyse the new variant. According to the WHO, coronavirus infections increased by 11% in Europe last week, making it the only region in the world where COVID spread is still on the rise.

Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO's Europe director, warned that without immediate action, the continent might witness another 700,000 fatalities by spring.

(Inputs from AP News)

Image: AP