UK and Israel enforce travel restrictions due to a new COVID-19 variant from Africa

Both the U.K. and Israel have enacted new travel restrictions in response to a recent COVID-19 strain.

The United Kingdom is prohibiting flights from six African countries and placing them on their "red list" due to concerns about the new COVID-19 variant. This news was initially reported by the BBC.

U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that flights from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe will be banned starting Friday, November 26.

Javid mentioned that while scientists need to gather more information, health officials are apprehensive about the new coronavirus strain detected in South Africa and several other African countries.

The new variant is identified as B.1.1.529. According to The Wall Street Journal, the World Health Organization will convene an emergency meeting on Friday to determine whether to classify this strain as a "variant of concern."

This new strain reportedly has over 30 mutations. It was initially detected in Botswana, but there are already numerous cases reported in South Africa and even one in Hong Kong, linked to a traveler returning from South Africa.

No cases have been reported in the United Kingdom.

Officials in South Africa indicate that this variant seems to spread more quickly than earlier strains.

Javid stated, "This suggests it could be more transmissible, and our current vaccines may be less effective against it."

The Guardian reports that U.K. health officials will trace passengers returning from Southern Africa and offer them tests to ensure they haven't imported the new strain. Additionally, U.K. authorities are considering further measures, including mandating PCR tests for all arriving passengers.

Israel has imposed a ban on arrivals from the same six African countries, along with Mozambique, and is prohibiting its citizens from traveling to those regions.

So far, there has been no statement from the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S.