South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini are classified as virus variant areas and entry from these countries is generally prohibited, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday. The amendment comes into force at midnight. Flights from southern Africa should be cut, suggested EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning (level 6) for the seven African countries, said Foreign Minister Michael Linhart (ÖVP). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns against all tourist and unnecessary trips, including vacation and family visits to these countries.
Austrian citizens are entitled to enter the country, but have to adhere to particularly strict quarantine regulations – ten-day quarantine, PCR test upon entry, registration. In addition, a landing ban will be imposed on flights from these seven African countries.
170 Austrians in affected countries
According to the Foreign Ministry, around 170 Austrians are currently registered as travelers in the seven African countries. A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Michael Linhart told the APA on Friday that they would now receive text messages and emails asking them to report if they needed help. Registered travelers are urgently advised to return home.
Schallenberg: “cause for concern”
Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said the new variant was cause for concern. “We react quickly and consistently.” Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) also emphasized that Austria was reacting immediately to current developments. “It is also important that other countries in the European Union also act quickly here.” We will therefore not just stand by and act now, “said Linhart.
“The Commission will propose, in close coordination with the Member States, to activate the emergency brake in order to cease air traffic from southern Africa due to the worrying variant B.1.1.529,” tweeted von der Leyen. Italy’s Minister of Health Roberto Speranza restricted entry from several South African countries due to the coronavirus variant. Germany wants to declare South Africa and possibly neighboring countries a virus variant area on Friday. According to information from the Reuters news agency from the Ministry of Health, the regulation will come into force at night.
France is also imposing a landing ban for flights from southern Africa due to the emergence of the new Corona variant B.1.1.529. Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Friday in Paris that this will apply immediately for at least 48 hours. Travelers from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini are not allowed to enter France for at least 48 hours regardless of their vaccination status. The next steps will be discussed at EU level in the next few hours. The Czech Republic and the Netherlands also responded with entry and landing bans.
The World Health Organization recommends scientifically sound measures and risk assessments, but currently no travel restrictions. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said in Geneva on Friday that even without such restrictions, states could take a number of measures to curb the spread of new variants.
Vaccination protection might no longer be sufficient
In Asia, Singapore and India announced stricter border controls and stricter corona tests on Friday. The new Corona variant also caused great uncertainty on the stock exchanges. Investors feared another setback for the global economy. At the beginning of trading, the Dax fell by 3.4 percent to 15,376 points, as strong as it was a year ago. Scientists had only discovered the B.1.1.529 variant in relatively small numbers in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, but are concerned about the high number of mutations in the variant because it is still unclear whether the vaccinations will still be effective here .
South Africa announced on Friday that a British flight ban, which had also been imposed on six countries in southern Africa because of the discovery of a new corona variant, appeared rash, as even the World Health Organization (WHO) had not yet discussed the next steps. The WHO wants to discuss the variant in a panel of experts at noon. The WHO did not initially comment on the air travel restrictions.
The Taiwanese government announced that travelers from “high-risk” countries in southern Africa would have to go to state quarantine facilities for 14 days. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Reuters that her country was well prepared for the new variant. Earlier this week, New Zealand said it would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated international travelers from April 30th.
In Japan, the government has decided to tighten border controls for travelers from South Africa and five other African countries, as reported by the Jiji news agency.
Source From: Nachrichten
