The European Commission on Friday proposed to member states to suspend flights to and from southern Africa and other countries affected by the appearance of the new variant B.1.1.529, announced its president, Ursula von der Leyen. .
Several member states, such as France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, have already taken this type of measure against the new variant that was announced Thursday in South Africa.
A case was detected in Hong Kong, in Israel on a person returning from Malawi, but also in Belgium, the first European country affected.
Read alsoCovid-19 in Europe: a first case of the new variant detected in Belgium
“
The European Commission today proposed to Member States to activate the + emergency brake + on travel from southern African countries and other affected countries to limit the spread of the new variant.
All air travel to these countries should be suspended until we have a clear understanding of the danger posed by this new variant,
”she said in a statement.
“
And travelers returning from this region should adhere to strict quarantine rules
,” the German continued.
Read alsoA good understanding of the new variant will take "several weeks", estimates the WHO
The European executive, which did not give a list of the countries affected by this halt, submitted its proposal to the representatives of the Member States during a meeting underway in Brussels.
EU countries must then endorse this recommendation.
The President of the Commission also urged Europeans not yet vaccinated to do so "as
soon as possible
" and stressed that the boosters offered "
even better protection
".
She recalled that "
European Union contracts with manufacturers stipulate that the vaccine must be adapted immediately to new variants as soon as they appear
".
A quarter of adults in the EU are not fully vaccinated, she lamented Thursday.
