India Halts UK Flights (Anish Esteves) Flights to and from the UK have been banned till December 31 over a new fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus across Europe, the government said today as several countries announced similar moves earlier.
A joint monitoring group on COVID-19 had met this morning to discuss the mutant coronavirus that is spreading rapidly in the UK.. Canada, Saudi Arabia, and several European countries have suspended flights from the UK over the new strain, believed to be 70 per cent more infectious. Much is unknown about the strain, but experts say current vaccines should still be effective against it. The health ministry earlier said the government was fully alert about the new strain and stressed "there's no need to panic". The ban will come into effect on Wednesday and all passengers arriving from the UK before then will be tested on arrival at airports. Anish Esteves www.anishesteves.home.blog
