Covid News: Germany Bans Most Travel From Britain Over Variant Fears

May 23, 2021

Many U.S. prisoners and guards are refusing vaccinations, creating potential hot spots for the coronavirus to continue to spread. In New York, officials open vaccinations to visitors and take their campaign to airports and tourist attractions.

Germany is banning most travel from Britain starting on Sunday amid concerns about the spread of a coronavirus variant first discovered in India, the German authorities said on Friday.

German citizens and residents will still be allowed to enter the country from Britain but will be required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, Germany’s public health institution said as it classified Britain as an area of concern because of the variant.

The move came just days after Britain reopened its museums and cinemas and resumed allowing indoor service in pubs and restaurants. Many people in Britain have been looking forward to traveling abroad in the coming months, and Spain is set to welcome visitors arriving from Britain without a coronavirus test starting on Monday.

Germany has classified the UK as an area of variant of concern, with effect from 23 May. Therefore a ban on transportation and entry into Germany applies from 23 May. Details and exceptions here: https://t.co/EmMuH1IuVo
— German Embassy London (@GermanEmbassy) May 21, 2021

The spread in Britain of the variant first detected in India, known as B.1.617, could serve as an early warning for other European countries that have relaxed restrictions. This month, the World Health Organization declared the mutation a “variant of concern,” and although scientists’ knowledge about it remains limited, it is believed to be more transmissible than the virus’s initial form.

Brazil, India and South Africa are among the dozen or so other countries that Germany considers areas of concern because of variants. As of Thursday, Britain has reported 3,424 cases of the variant first discovered in India, according to government data, up from 1,313 cases the previous week.
Dozens of nations, including European countries and the United States, suspended travel from Britain or imposed strict restrictions earlier in the pandemic amid concerns about the spread of the highly contagious and deadly B.1.1.7 variant, which began surging in Britain in December and is now dominant in the United States.
In India, the B.1.617 variant has been blamed for a devastating second virus wave. But researchers outside of India say the limited data so far suggests instead that B.1.1.7 may be a more considerable factor.

nytimes.com/live/2021/05/22/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-mask


Related


The COVID-19 variant first identified in India has been found in the US

Chia-Yi Hou | May 17, 2021
On May 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the coronavirus variant that was first identified in India as a “variant of concern” on a global level. This variant, named B.1.617, is thought to be more easily spread than the original versions of the novel coronavirus, and it has been linked to the current surge of cases in India.

On May 4, the Biden administration travel ban went into effect for travelers who had been in India within the previous two weeks. Recently, the variant has been found in the U.S., although we may not be able to tell for some time if the ban is effective at preventing the variant from entering and spreading.

In April, Tennessee had cases from people who had recently traveled to India, according to The Associated Press (AP).

https://thehill.com/changing-america...ified-in-india



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