Austria, Belgium, Italy & Netherlands Shut Down UK Flights Fearing New Covid Strain
Over the last few days it has been reported that there is a new, and more contagious, covid-19 strain in the U.K. that has some countries acting. In response to this news Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands have halted started, or issued, U.K. travel bans. They fear that the new strain could spread to their borders and the Europe mainland as a whole. Air travel was the main reason that the original covid-19 outbreak spanned the globe so quickly.
Here is what the current bans are, according to CNBC:
- The Netherlands banned flights from the U.K for the rest of the year.
- Belgium issued a 24 hour flight ban starting at midnight. They also halted train links to Britain, including Eurostar.
- Austria has said they will be halting flights from the U.K. but they have not given any firm details as of yet.
- Italy announced that they would suspend flights to and from the U.K. but no details have been given yet.
On top of these bans a few other countries have hinted at following suit. Germany has also considered limiting flights to and from the U.K. The Czech Republic imposed stricter quarantine measures for people arriving from the U.K. but has not banned travel between the two countries.
The new strain was discovered in September and has been spreading at a higher rate than the previous strain. It does not appear to be any more lethal or cause a more severe illness than the previous strain of covid-19. There is also no evidence to suggest that vaccines will be less effective against it.
Source: CNBC
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the old king of travel rewards cards. Right now
bonus_miles_full
Learn more about this card and its features!
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
I was on SV 36 Sunday afternoon, 10 minutes before departure the pilot announce the Saudi Arabian government had cancelled all international flights for one week.
Crazy, travel is so unpredictable right now.
Convenient timing – vaccine rollout – strain fearmongering….for a strain that has been around since Sept. This part seems planned to me.
I did find it strange they didn’t say anything back in September
30% real, 70% fake/scam/deception/over-reach/ignorance from where I sit.
I’ve read a lot about mutations at Thailand Medical News…don’t care anymore.
Lots of nice videos here…haven’t seen them all..but the several that I have seen…well done.
https://thehighwire.com/
Traveloffpath – if you didn’t already know is a nice website for insights into reopenings/requirements.
LOL – banning for 48-72 hours…whatever…unless you enact a permanent border closure with military enforcement…it will get through. And even then…mutations occur in body…similar/same mutations could (theoretically / already have) arise in two or more different places at the same time me thinks.
My guess is that this is more in response to the UK lockdown than any new strain. If no one can travel then why have flights to or from there.
I am sure that played a role in it as well