Some European countries are setting up travel restrictions from the U.K., citing concerns after the U.K. and World Health Organization said they’d identified a new variant of COVID-19 in England.
Driving the news: Italy and Austria became the latest countries to restrict flights from the U.K. on Sunday, joining the Netherlands and Belgium, per Sky News.
- Dutch officials implemented restrictions after they identified at least one case of the same variant in the Netherlands. The ban is expected to be in place until at least the new year.
- Belgium will block air and train travelers on Monday, its prime minister told a CNN affiliate.
- Italy and Austria did not specify the timing of the bans.
What to watch: France and Germany are expected to implement similar flight bans, Sky reports.
The backdrop: About 21 million people entered full lockdown restrictions in London, southeast and eastern England, and Wales on Sunday to curb the spread of the new coronavirus strain.
For the record: The WHO tweeted that it’s in “close contact” with British officials regarding the new variant.
- “They’ll continue to share info & results of their analysis & ongoing studies. We’ll update Member States & public as we learn more about the characteristics of this virus variant & any implications,” the tweet stated.
