LONDON (Reuters) – Britain is including the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda to its coronavirus journey ban checklist from Friday, prompting Emirates and Etihad Airways to suspend all their U.K. flights.
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Outbreak of the coronavirus condition (COVID-19), in London
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British Transport Minister Grant Shapps declared the new bans on Thursday, with the two Middle Eastern airways announcing flight suspensions a couple of hours afterwards.
Shapps mentioned the decision, which come into impact from 1300 GMT on Friday, was a response to new evidence showing the likely spread of a coronavirus variant 1st determined in South Africa to the recently banned nations around the world.
“This suggests men and women who have been in or transited as a result of these nations around the world will be denied entry, besides British, Irish and 3rd country nationals with home legal rights who should self-isolate for ten days at dwelling,” Shapps reported on Twitter.
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FILE Photograph: Emirates planes are witnessed on the tarmac in a general see of Dubai Intercontinental Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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The transport department explained there was a ban on direct passenger flights from the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai-based Emirates claimed on its website that it would suspend passenger products and services amongst Dubai and all of its U.K. points, including London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester, efficient 1300 GMT on Friday right until further recognize.
Abu Dhabi-based mostly Etihad also claimed on its internet site that all U.K. flights would be suspended from 1300 GMT on Friday.
Each airlines generally carry large figures of travellers connecting from Britain to locations like Australia by means of their airport hubs.
(Reporting by William James in London More reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney Enhancing by William Schomberg, Karishma Singh and Jane Wardell)