BERLIN (AP) — A growing list of European Union nations and Canada have barred flights from the U.K. and others are considering similar action.
The moves were made Sunday to try to block a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England from spreading to the continent.
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Bulgaria all announced restrictions on U.K. travel. It came hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be canceled.
He blamed rapidly spreading infections in the region on the new coronavirus variant, which officials say is 70% more transmissible than existing strains.