Ireland is set to impose travel restrictions on flights and ferries from the UK, Sky News understands.
It is understood the ban will last for an initial 48 hours before being reviewed during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
An official announcement is expected in the coming hours - and several other countries could soon follow over fears of a new variant of the coronavirus spreading across London and the southeast of England.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world
Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria have already confirmed flight suspensions in and out of Britain.
French broadcaster BFMTV reported that a high level "health defence council" would be held at 4pm to discuss what measures should be put in place.
Germany is also understood to be planning action, with a German government official telling the DPA news agency that restrictions on flights from Britain are a "serious option".
Boris Johnson has put London and much of the southeast of England, where the new COVID strain is most prevalent, into a Tier 4 lockdown over the Christmas period in an attempt to get the disease back under control.
At a news conference on Saturday, the prime minister noted the new COVID-19 strain was up to 70% more infectious than the original variant.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said six out of 10 infected people in the capital had the new variant.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the country was facing an "enormous challenge", adding that the mutation was "out of control" and could see areas stuck in Tier 4 until the UK's most vulnerable have been vaccinated.
Dr Susan Hopkins, of Public Health England, said the new variant had spread to every region of England - as well as parts of Scotland and Wales, but in smaller amounts.
She said there was no evidence it was causing a disproportionate number of hospital admissions.
The Netherlands - which has already seen one case of the strain - banned flights from Britain until at least the new year.
Belgium has issued a 24-hour emergency stop to flights and train connections into the country from the UK.
Flights to Italy are cancelled as well.
And Austria is also planning to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said, citing the health ministry.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMilgFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jb3ZpZC0xOS1pcmVsYW5kLWZyYW5jZS1hbmQtZ2VybWFueS1jb3VsZC1qb2luLXNldmVyYWwtY291bnRyaWVzLWJhbm5pbmctdWstdHJhdmVsLW92ZXItY29yb25hdmlydXMtbXV0YXRpb24tZmVhcnMtMTIxNjgzNzXSAZoBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2NvdmlkLTE5LWlyZWxhbmQtZnJhbmNlLWFuZC1nZXJtYW55LWNvdWxkLWpvaW4tc2V2ZXJhbC1jb3VudHJpZXMtYmFubmluZy11ay10cmF2ZWwtb3Zlci1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1tdXRhdGlvbi1mZWFycy0xMjE2ODM3NQ?oc=5
2020-12-20 15:56:15Z
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