LONDON (AP) \u2014 The United Kingdom is banning travel from the whole of South America and Portugal amid concerns over a new variant of the coronavirus in Brazil, authorities announced Thursday.<\/p>\n
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that as of 4 a.m. Friday, arrivals from more than a dozen countries, including Argentina, Chile and Peru, will be halted \u201cfollowing evidence of a new variant in Brazil.\u201d Outside South America, the Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa and Panama in Central America were also slapped with travel bans.<\/p>\n
And in a move that prompted consternation in Portugal, Shapps said travel from that country would also be halted because of its close links with Brazil, though there are exemptions for truck drivers from Portugal transporting essential goods. He said on Twitter that the move is \u201canother way to reduce the risk of importing infections.\u201d<\/p>\n
The restrictions also apply to the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores.<\/p>\n
The ban does not apply to British and Irish nationals and third country nationals with residence rights in the U.K. However, anyone returning from the banned destinations must quarantine themselves for 10 days with their households.<\/p>\n