The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced the UK will temporarily ban flights from several African countries, after the discovery of the B.1.1.529 Covid variant in the region against which vaccines might be less effective.
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Officials characterise the variant, which has double the number of mutations as the currently dominant Delta variant, as the 'worst one yet'. Flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini will be banned from Friday afternoon, and returning British travellers from those destinations will have to quarantine

B.1.1.529 Covid variant ‘most worrying we’ve seen’, says top UK medical adviser ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/26/b11529-covid-variant-most-worrying-weve-seen-says-top-uk-medical-adviser

What do we know about the new ‘worst ever’ Covid variant? ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/25/what-do-we-know-about-the-new-worst-ever-covid-variant

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