LONDON - Travellers arriving in England from several southern African countries will have to quarantine in hotels as concern grows about a new Covid variant.
After an expert described the strain, known as B.1.1.529, as “the worst one we’ve seen so far”, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that from midday today six countries would be added to the red list and with flights would be temporarily banned.
Scientists said the variant carries an “extremely high number” of mutations which may evade the body’s defences. No cases of the variant have been confirmed in the UK.