South African rand recovers against dollar as US inflation data looms
FILE - Stranded German tourists gather at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, April 23, 2020. [File photo: Nardus Engelbrecht/AP]
Germany and Italy on Friday joined Britain in banning most travel from South Africa as governments scramble to prevent the spread of a new Covid-19 variant with a large number of mutations.
In a sign of the growing alarm, the European Union on 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”, 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 1200 GMT on Friday.
South Africa sharply condemned Britain’s decision.
“Whilst South Africa respects the right of all countries to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their citizens, the UK’s decision to temporarily ban South Africans from entering the UK seems to have been rushed as even the World Health Organisation is yet to advise on the next steps,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
El Gobierno de Austria anunció hoy el cierre de sus fronteras para viajeros que lleguen en avión desde Sudáfrica, Lesoto, Botsuana, Zimbabue, Mozambique, Namibia y Suazilandia para contener la expansión de una nueva variante del Covid, considerada potencialmente como peligrosa pic.twitter.com/B6imaKJUU1
— EuroEFE (@euroefe) November 26, 2021
1. Malaysians are banned from visiting South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, due to the B.1.1.529 variant.
MOH Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says those who have travelled to those nations recently will also not be permitted to enter Malaysia. https://t.co/lmSGlKSlxE pic.twitter.com/xJ5UiXsulv
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) November 26, 2021
Malaysia Imposes Quarantine On Travellers Returning From 7 African Countries Amid New Covid-19 Variant
Travellers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, must undergo mandatory quarantine regardless of vaccination status.https://t.co/ilCSFsovTb
— CodeBlue (@codebluenews) November 26, 2021
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