The UK has banned all arrivals from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo from Friday to stop the spread of the South Africa variant of COVID-19, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.
“All passengers from these countries except British & Irish Nationals and third-country nationals with residents rights will be denied entry,” he said in a tweet.
“We are continuing to monitor COVID-19 rates and new strains of the virus across the globe, alongside the suspension of travel corridors and pre-departure testing, will help protect our borders,” he added.
Only British, Irish nationals, and third-country nationals with residents rights will be exempted.
Earlier this month passengers from 11 other Southern African countries were banned to enter the UK for similar reasons.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday said the continent’s COVID-19 death rate now stands at 2.5%, higher than the global average of 2.2%.
It listed the Democratic Republic of Congo among 21 African nations with a death rate above 3%.
The authorities in Tanzania have downplayed the extent of the epidemic in the country and have not been releasing any data on infections or deaths.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern over the country’s strategy on COVID-19.
(Source: BBC)