The Edition
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linkedin icon

Latest

Countries banning travel from UK

21 December 2020, MVT 18:49
(FILES) This file photo taken on December 10, 2020 shows a notice warning people of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus at the Eurostar UK border in Gare du Nord station. - France will halt all travel from Britain for 48 hours from midnight on December 20, 2020 including journeys "related to goods transport by road, air, sea or rail", the prime minister's office said, after a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus appeared in the UK. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)
21 December 2020, MVT 18:49

Countries around the world have begun banning flights and travellers from Britain as London the spread of a more-infectious new coronavirus strain was now "out of control".

Here are the places that have announced travel bans so far:

Hong Kong

The former British colony is banning all flights arriving from the United Kingdom from midnight, and the quarantine of passengers who arrived from Britain in the last fortnight is being extended.

All international arrivals must already spend 14 days in isolation in a hotel.

France

France has halted all travel from Britain for 48 hours from midnight, including anyone transporting goods "by road, air, sea or rail".

The ban on everything but unaccompanied freight comes as companies scramble to shift merchandise across the Channel with days to go until Britain leaves the EU trade bloc.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex's office said the 48-hour period would offer time to coordinate a joint EU response that would ultimately allow travel from the UK to resume "with compulsory testing on departure".

Germany

Germany also halted air links with the UK from midnight, with the ban initially slated to last until December 31.

Cargo flights will be exempt.

A government source told AFP that Berlin is already "working on measures" to extend the suspension into January.

Netherlands

All passenger flights from Britain to the Netherlands have been banned until January 1. One case of the new strain has been found in the country, the health ministry added.

Ireland

Flights from Britain from midnight were banned for at least 48 hours. The country shares a highly-porous 499-kilometre (310-mile) border with the UK.

Italy

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said that he had signed a decree "which blocks flights from Great Britain and prohibits entry into Italy of people who have stayed there during the last 14 days".

Anyone in Italy who recently travelled from Britain must be tested, the statement added.

The new strain has been found in one person in Italy who recently returned from the UK.

Rest of Europe

Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium banned flights from the UK for 24 hours, Finland barred flights for two weeks and Switzerland stopped them until further notice.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have halted flights, with Croatia suspending them for 48 hours.

Bulgaria said flights to and from Britain would be suspended until January 31.

Romania is banning all flights to and from the UK for two weeks from Monday afternoon.

Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada would ban all UK flights for 72 hours.

In a tweet, he added those who had already arrived from Britain on Sunday would be subject to secondary screenings and other "advanced measures".

Turkey

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that flights from Britain, Denmark -- where nine cases of the new strain have been detected -- the Netherlands and South Africa would be suspended.

Iran

Iran's health ministry has ordered flights from Britain suspended for two weeks.

Israel

Israel said it was barring entry to foreign citizens travelling from Britain, Denmark and South Africa.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also announced tough quarantine rules for Israelis returning home from those nations.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia said it was halting all flights and entry through land and seaports for at least a week, with the option to extend for a further week.

Passengers who arrived in the kingdom from Europe -- or any country where the new strain was detected -- will be required to self isolate for two weeks and undergo testing.

Kuwait

Kuwait has added Britain to a list of "high-risk" nations and banned flights.

El Salvador

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said that anyone who had been in Britain or South Africa in the past 30 days will not be allowed to enter the country.

Argentina

Argentina has banned flights from the UK.

It said the last flight from Britain would arrive in the country on Monday.

Chile

Chile is suspending flights from the UK from Tuesday.

The government said anyone without a Chilean residence permit who had been in Britain in the past two weeks would be barred from entry into the country.

Morocco

Morocco banned all flights to the UK from Sunday.

Paris, France | AFP

Share this story

Related Stories

Discuss

MORE ON WORLD