British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC Sunday that “the new variant is out of control.”
The variant has already been detected in Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands, the BBC reported.
Flights from the UK were suspended by Italy “to protect Italy and our countrymen,” Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced Sunday in a Facebook post. The Netherlands said it will ban UK flights until at least the end of the year. Belgium is less stringent, announcing on Sunday a 24-hour ban on flights and trains to and from the U.K..
Germany said it intends to “restrict travel options between Germany and Great Britain, as well as South Africa,” but hasn’t set a time frame on that ban.
France and Ireland are considering similar restrictions, according to European media reports.
Greece has issued a seven-day quarantine requirement for travelers from the U.K.starting Monday, the Associated Press reported. Israel has also instituted a ban on passengers from the U.K., Denmark and South Africa.