European Commission Sets To Annul Travel Ban From Southern Africa Amid New Variant Concern

The European Union is expected to announce an immediate travel ban to southern Africa because of the discovery of a so called new Covid-19 variant.

The B.1.1.529 variant, which is said to be more transmissible than the dominant Delta variant and could evade vaccines, has been discovered in South Africa’s most populous province Gauteng.

Leaving questions of how many doses of vaccine or booster shots will be required to counter the virus that has reportedly ravaged the world’s socio-economic activities.

The EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: “The @EU Commission 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.”

The future of this year’s United Rugby Championship (URC) could be in jeopardy as it has four South African teams in it.

Munster are in the country to play Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday night and are due to stay on to play Lions in Johannesburg next weekend.

Meanwhile, the UK has suspended flights from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer, Michael McBride, said the emergence of the new variant was “undoubtedly a matter of concern”.

Flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana will from 1200 GMT Friday 26 November be suspended.

The temporary flight ban is to give the Government time to set up quarantine facilities and to ‘reduce the risk of important this new variant under investigation’.

After that, Brits returning from the affected countries will have to book and pay for a Government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days.

Government guidance says that Brits arriving from the six countries between midday on Friday and 4am on Sunday, who have been in the countries within the last 10 days, must quarantine at home for 10 days, take NHS PCR tests on Day 2 and Day 8, even if they already have a lateral flow test booking.