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New Covid variant: The countries restricting UK travel

Paris, France - Several countries eased the restrictions on Wednesday.

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More than 40 countries are still banning or restricting travel from Britain in a bid to contain a new strain of the coronavirus believed to spread faster.

Scotland had already closed its border with the rest of the United Kingdom before the new strain was made public.

The restrictions, which were eased on Wednesday by France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, have in some cases been extended to other countries where the new strain has been identified, like Denmark and South Africa.

Also read: UK imposes more lockdowns as new Covid variant causes record cases

And Britain itself on Wednesday imposed curbs on arrivals from South Africa after having identified cases of yet another strain from there.

Here is an update on the situation so far.

- France -

EU nationals and residents were allowed into France from Britain Wednesday as long as they had a negative Covid test, allowing lorry drivers who had been blocked for two days by the ban to return home.

Britons, except hauliers, bus and train drivers and those who live in the EU, are still not allowed to cross the Channel.

- Germany -

Germany is banning all arrivals from the UK and South Africa until January 6.

- Ireland -

Flights from Britain are banned until December 31, and "people regardless of nationality should not travel from Britain by air or sea".

Anyone who arrived since December 8 must self-isolate by "staying in your room" for 14 days.

- Netherlands -

The UK travel ban was lifted but all passengers, including EU nationals, must have a negative PCR test just before the trip.

They should also self-isolate for 10 days.

One case of the new strain has already been found in the country.

- Spain and Portugal -

Spain and Portugal are suspending flights, with Madrid only allowing its nationals or residents to enter from Britain from January 5.

- Poland -

Poland -- which has a large expat community in Britain -- has banned all incoming UK flights.

- Italy -

Italy has blocked flights from Britain until January 6 and prohibited entry of people who have stayed there during the last 14 days.

The new strain has been found in one person who recently returned from the UK.

- Russia -

Moscow is suspending British flights for a week.

- Rest of Europe -

Finland and Austria are suspending flights for two weeks and Switzerland until further notice, with travellers who have arrived from Britain or South Africa ordered into quarantine.

Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as Hungary and Luxembourg have also halted flights, while in the Balkans Croatia, Macedonia and Albania followed suit with Bulgaria suspending them until January 31.

Romania has banned all flights to and from the UK for two weeks.

Norway and Denmark suspended flights for 48 hours, while Sweden has suspended them until December 31.

Stockholm also closed its border with Denmark, which has detected nine cases of the new strain on its soil.

Belgium on Wednesday allowed its nationals and residents to return, while Slovakia says it will resume flights to and from the UK from midnight.

- India -

India has suspended all flights until December 31, with anyone arriving from Britain on transit flights to be tested.

- Hong Kong -

The former British colony has banned all incoming UK flights, and extended the quarantine of passengers who arrived from Britain in the last fortnight.

- Canada -

Canada has prolonged its suspension of flights from the UK until early January.

- Turkey -

Turkey has suspended flights from Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa.

- Middle East -

Saudi Arabia and Oman said they were closing their borders entirely for at least a week.

Israel said it was barring entry to foreign citizens travelling from Britain, Denmark and South Africa, while Jordan is banning UK flights for a fortnight, as is Iran.

Kuwait has added Britain to a list of "high-risk" nations and banned flights.

- Africa -

Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia have all banned flights from Britain, with Algeria deciding to stop repatriating its nationals.

Mauritius, a former British colony, has also barred travel from the UK and South Africa.

- Latin America -

Anyone who had been in Britain or South Africa in the past 30 days will not be allowed to enter El Salvador. The same goes for Panama and Paraguay.

Peru has gone further, banning all flights from Europe and any foreigner who had been in Britain in the last fortnight.

Bolivia will ban entry to travellers from Europe from Friday for two weeks.

Chile and Argentina have banned flights from the UK, with anyone without a Chilean residence permit who had been in Britain in the past two weeks barred.

• Europe