BERLIN: After Britain, now Germany and Italy on Friday (Nov 26) announced to restrict most travel from South Africa.
In a sign of the growing alarm, the European Union separately proposed prohibiting travel from southern Africa.
The EU’s executive “will propose, in close coordination with member states, to activate the emergency brake to stop air travel from the southern African region due to the variant of concern B.1.1.529”, EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen tweeted Friday.
Germany’s new travel restrictions, starting Friday night, will affect South Africa and “probably neighbouring nations”, Health Minister Jens Spahn said, with only German nationals allowed entry.
They must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival even if vaccinated.
“The last thing we need now is an introduced new variant that causes even more problems,” Spahn said, with Germany in the grip of a ferocious fourth wave of the pandemic.
In Rome, the government on Friday announced it was banning entry to those who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia or Eswatini in the past fortnight.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza said scientists were studying the new B.1.1.529 variant, “and in the meantime, we will follow the path of maximum caution”.
Britain announced that all flights from South Africa and its same neighbours would be prohibited starting at 1200 GMT on Friday.
