Italy bans flights from UK in the wake of mutant Covid spread - Metro.co.uk

The new strain of Covid is believed to be up to 70% more contagious (Picture: EPA/ Backgrid)

Italy has become the third country to suspend all flights from the UK amid fears over a new strain of coronavirus which is highly contagious.

Today Italian foreign minister Luigi di Maio confirmed that all travel from the UK would be temporarily suspended. He said: ‘As a government we have a duty to protect Italians, so for this reason, after a warning the British government, we are about to sign the order to suspend flights with Great Britain.’

His words come just hours after both the Netherlands and Belgium closed their borders to Britain. Health authorities in the Netherlands confirmed they had recorded at least one case of the new strain of the virus, which is currently under investigation.

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There is now a ban on air travel between the UK and the Netherlands as of 6am this morning. It will last until January 1.

The Dutch government said in a statement: ‘Pending further information, and an explanation of the epidemiological situation in the United Kingdom, the public health institute recommends that any introduction of this virus strain from the United Kingdom should be limited as much as possible, by limiting or controlling passenger movement.’

It continued: ‘The cabinet is closely monitoring the developments of the Covid-19 virus abroad and is investigating the possibilities for additional measures for other modes of transport.

Italy has suspended flights from the UK amid concern over the new strain of Covid (Picture: EPA)

Luigi di Maio said the government had a duty to protect Italians (Picture: Backgrid)

‘In the coming days, it will, in close collaboration with other EU member states, look into the possibilities of further restricting imports of the virus from the United Kingdom.’

Meanwhile, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced that flights and rail connections from UK would be banned for 24 hours from midnight tonight ‘out of precaution’ over the new Covid variant.

He said: ‘There are a great many questions about this new mutation and whether it is not already on the [European] mainland.’

It is the third European country to temporarily close their borders to the UK (Picture: Getty Images)

Germany and France are also said to be considering their own bans. A German Health Ministry source described the measure as a ‘serious option’, and noted that the situation in the UK is being closely monitored.

The new variant of Covid is not believed to be more harmful than previous strains of the virus, but is much more contagious, Johnson said on Saturday. A government advisory group on new and emerging respiratory virus threats (NERVTAG) has been analysing the variant this week.

Boris Johnson said on Saturday: ‘There’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or higher mortality, but it does appear to be passed on significantly more easily.

‘NERVTAG’s early analysis suggest it could increase the R by 0.4 or more and although there’s considerable uncertainty it may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant, the original version, of the disease. This is early data and it’s subject to review.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8xMi8yMC9pdGFseS1iYW5zLXVrLWZsaWdodHMtYXMtZXVyb3BlLXJlYWN0cy10by1tdXRhdGVkLWNvdmlkLTEzNzgwNjA5L9IBZGh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8xMi8yMC9pdGFseS1iYW5zLXVrLWZsaWdodHMtYXMtZXVyb3BlLXJlYWN0cy10by1tdXRhdGVkLWNvdmlkLTEzNzgwNjA5L2FtcC8?oc=5

2020-12-20 12:57:00Z
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