EU analyzes measures to stop South African travel due to new variant

This is how they detected the Mu variant in Colombia 2:51

(CNN) -

At least two countries in the European Union, so far, are mobilizing to ban the arrival of travelers from South Africa and other African nations due to concerns about the spread of a new variant of covid-19 that is spreading. found in the region.

The EU is studying the possibility of activating its "emergency brake to stop air travel from the South African region," the bloc's chief, Ursula Von Der Leyen, said on Twitter on Friday.

• What we know so far about the new coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa

Germany says it will declare South Africa a "virus variant area" and, as of Friday night, airlines can only fly from the country to repatriate German nationals.

Italy has already banned entry to "anyone who has been to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini in the last 14 days," Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced on Friday.

Israel records the first case of variant B.1,1.529

Israel registered its first case of the new coronavirus variant B.1,1.529 and the country has announced that seven southern African countries will be included on a red list.

This means that returnees from those countries must be quarantined at a designated hotel.

Sublineage of delta variant found in Israel 0:46

A statement dated Friday morning from the Israeli Health Ministry said a person returning to Israel from Malawi was found to be carrying the new variant.

The final results of the tests of two other people also suspected of being infected are awaited.

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The ministry says all three people had been vaccinated, although the precise details of the vaccines were still being verified.

On Thursday night, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he had accepted the Health Ministry's recommendations to place South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini on a new red list.

People traveling from these countries will not be allowed to enter Israel, and even Israelis who have received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will need to isolate themselves at a designated hotel upon returning from these countries until they have given two negative results in one PCR test.

With information from Andrew Carey and Amir Tal  

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