UK Bans Arrivals From Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo In Bid To Control New COVID Variant

UK Bans Arrivals From Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo In Bid To Control New COVID Variant

UK Bans Arrivals From Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo In Bid To Control New COVID Variant. image: Pixabay

UK Bans Arrivals From Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo In Bid To Control New COVID Variant.

Britain is banning all arrivals from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo from today, Friday, January 22, to stop the spread of the South Africa COVID-19 variant, transport secretary Grant Shapps said in a tweet on Thursday, Jan. 21.

“All passengers from these countries except British & Irish Nationals and third-country nationals with residents rights will be denied entry,” Shapps wrote in his tweet.

It comes after the UK’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned vaccines currently being rolled out may be less effective against the South African variant. The new variant – known as 501Y.V2 and thought to be about 50% more infectious – is believed to be more transmissible than the UK one.

A recent study by researchers from South Africa, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that the South African variant contains mutations that may be resistant to immunity from previous coronavirus infection.

Mr Shapps also tweeted: “To help to stop the spread of the Covid-19 variant identified in South Africa, we are banning all arrivals from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo from 4 am tomorrow. We are continuing to monitor Covid-19 rates and new strains of the virus across the globe, this alongside the suspension of travel corridors and pre-departure testing will help protect our borders.”

UK government advice was ‘from 4 am on 22 January, visitors who have been in or transited through Tanzania in the previous 10 days cannot enter the UK. British and Irish nationals and third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK arriving in the UK from Tanzania will need to self-isolate along with their households on their return.’


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Tony Winterburn

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