UK bans travel from SAmerica, Portugal over new variant

The United Kingdom has banned travel from the whole of South America and Portugal amid concerns over a new variant of the coronavirus in Brazil.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that as of 4 a.m. Friday, arrivals from more than a dozen countries, including Argentina, Chile and Peru, will be halted “following evidence of a new variant in Brazil.”

Outside South America, the Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa and Panama in Central America were also slapped with travel bans.

And in a move that prompted consternation in Portugal, Shapps said travel from that country would also be halted because of its close links with Brazil, though there are exemptions for truck drivers from Portugal transporting essential goods.

Shapps said the decision of banning flights from South America was because scientists hadn't analysed the variant coming from Brazil yet.

He told British broadcaster Sky News that while there are thousands of variants, those from the UK and South Africa had to undergo scientific studies.

The scientific community agreed with the decision.

The restrictions also apply to the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores.

The ban does not apply to British and Irish nationals and third country nationals with residence rights in the UK.

However, anyone returning from the banned destinations must quarantine themselves for ten days with their households.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after many countries banned travel from the UK following the discovery of another variant of the virus around London and southeastern England, which has been blamed for a sharp in new coronavirus infections and deaths related to COVID-19.

(Image Credit: AP)