UPDATE - EU proposes southern Africa travel ban over new virus variant

UPDATES WITH MORE COMMENTS FROM EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEAD; ADDS MORE DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Commission recommended on Friday that EU member states suspend all flights from the southern African region to stem the spread of the most recent coronavirus variant.

The EU executive body proposed that EU states should “activate the emergency brake” to stop air travel from the southern African region due to the B.1.1.529 variant.

“All air travel to these countries should be suspended. They should be suspended until we have a clear understanding about the danger posed by this new variant,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement.

“Travelers returning from this region so should respect strict quarantine rules,” she added.

The top EU official urged “swift, decisive, and united” action amid the new variant, warning that it might spread and mutate even faster.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said they were “monitoring closely the developing situation of the B.1.1.529,” and promised to issue their assessment later on Friday.

Meanwhile, Belgium on Friday confirmed the first case of the new variant.

The patient is supposed to be a young woman who traveled to Belgium from Egypt via Turkey.

The British government decided on Thursday to suspend flights from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe as of Friday noon.

The new heavily mutated variant of the coronavirus, that might be able to evade vaccines, was first identified on Nov. 11 in Botswana.