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Coronavirus in South Africa: A patient suffering from Covid-19 is treated with oxygen
Photo: Jerome Delay / dpa
Concerns about a new coronavirus variant from South Africa are growing.
Now the federal government is reacting and drastically restricting air traffic with the country.
The Federal Ministry of Health announced that the country will be considered a virus variant area from Saturday night.
"As a result, airlines are only allowed to carry German citizens to Germany." In addition, all those who have arrived would have to be in quarantine for 14 days - even if they are fully vaccinated.
As the ministry further announced, the new classification may also affect neighboring countries of South Africa.
The newly discovered virus variant "worries us, so we are acting proactively and at an early stage," said the Managing Minister Jens Spahn (CDU).
"The last thing we are missing now is a new variant that has been introduced and that causes even more problems."
Due to the corona variant B.1.1.529 discovered in South Africa, the EU Commission will propose to the member states to temporarily cease travel to the countries of southern Africa.
The commission wanted to decide "in close coordination with the member states" on the activation of this so-called emergency brake, said commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter.
On Thursday evening, Great Britain had already announced the suspension of travel with South Africa and five other African countries.
Singapore announced a restriction on air traffic with seven African countries.
For the time being, Lufthansa will continue to fly to South Africa
Italy has also reacted to the new virus variant. Health Minister Roberto Speranza has restricted entry from several South African countries by order. His ministry announced on Friday that anyone who has been to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini in the past 14 days cannot enter Italy. Italian scientists worked to study the variant. In the meantime, according to Speranza, "maximum caution" applies.
The German Lufthansa is maintaining the flight connections to the virus variant area South Africa for the time being. "We are implementing the requirements and will continue to fly, also to bring people home and transport freight," said a Lufthansa spokesman on request. Lufthansa is closely monitoring the situation and complying with all legal requirements and rules.
The South African Institute for Infectious Diseases NICD announced on Thursday that 22 cases of the new variant B.1.1.529 had been detected in South Africa.
More cases are to be expected in the course of the ongoing genome analyzes.
The World Health Organization WHO is already investigating whether B.1.1.529 should be classified as a matter of concern.
WHO expert Maria van Kerkhove said in a briefing.
It will also be examined to what extent the variant has consequences for diagnostics, therapies and vaccination campaigns.
asc / dpa