Several countries ban travel from UK after emergence of new strain of Covid-19

Multiple countries have halted all international flights amid fears over a highly infectious new mutant strain of the novel coronavirus which has been discovered in Britain.

Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, France, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Israel are among the nations that
have placed restrictions on travel with the UK.

The decision on travel ban has been taken over fears of a fast-spreading variant of COVID-19.

On December 19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced that the newly identified strain of the virus may be up to 70 per cent more transmissible.

According to British Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the new variant was "out of control".

By the week ending December 9, the new variant accounted for 62 per cent in London, 59 per cent in eastern England, and 43 per cent in the South East.

According to the latest update by Johns Hopkins University, the UK's tally of infections stands at 2,010,121, along with 67,177 deaths.