Countries CLOSE borders to Omicron: Israel and Switzerland ban visitors while Spain blocks un-jabbed amid rising cases of new Covid strain - as 13 passengers test positive in Holland after flying in from South Africa
- Switzerland announce ban of British citizens and residents arriving from the UK amid concerns of rising cases
- Tougher new border restrictions in Spain will also require Brits to be fully-vaccinated to enter the country
- Israel has slam shut borders to all foreign nationals and is mandating quarantine for all Israelis arriving abroad
- Countries across Europe closed borders to countries in southern Africa yesterday to combat the new variant
- Sajid Javid said the UK would avoid another lockdown for the time being despite a new super-strain outbreak
Christmas getaways to Europe have been plunged into crisis after Switzerland announced it has banned all Britons with immediate effect amid concerns of the rising cases of the Covid super-mutant Omicron.
Switzerland has said that only Swiss nationals and permanent residents can enter, but a pre-departure negative test must be proven alongside a 10-day mandatory quarantine.
Israel shut its borders to all foreigners and brought back phone-tracking late on Saturday in a bid to crack down on the rising cases.
This news comes as tough new border restrictions in Spain will also require Brits to be fully-vaccinated to enter the country.
Passengers sit in their seats aboard KLM Flight 598 at Schipol airport in Amsterdam after it landed from Cape Town, South Africa on Friday
People wait for the Covid-19 test results at Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam, amid concerns about the Omicron variant
People travelling from South Africa queue to be tested for Covid-19 after their plane was held on the tarmac at Schiphol Airport
Passengers put their luggage in the overhead storage on a plane before a flight to Amsterdam at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg
Christmas getaways to Europe have been plunged into crisis after Switzerland announced it has banned all Britons with immediate effect amid concerns of the rising cases of the deadly Omicron Covid strain, and Spain will only allow double-jabbed Brits in the country
Israel announced earlier today it will shut its borders to all foreign nationals in a strict new measure to curb the spread of the super-mutant virus
Switzerland on Saturday widened quarantine requirements to stem the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant to travellers arriving from Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Egypt and Malawi, where cases have been detected, its health ministry said.
On Friday, Switzerland banned direct flights from South Africa and the surrounding region due to the detection of a new COVID-19 variant, while also imposing restrictions on travel from other countries including Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium.
Entry from those countries would only be possible for Swiss citizens or those with a residence permit in Switzerland or the broader Schengen area.
This strengthens the previous restriction, announced just yesterday, which was that all flight passenger arrivals had to quarantine.
Now, following the detection of new Omicron cases, travellers from Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Egypt and Malawi will need to present a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine for ten days as well, the Federal Office of Public Health said in a tweet.
Swiss voters queue during snow fall to cast their ballot at a Polling station during a referendum in Fribourg, Switzerland on November 28
It did not state whether travel from those countries would be limited to Swiss citizens and residents or not.
Two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have also been detected in the southern German state of Bavaria and in Italy, both neighbours of Switzerland, but Switzerland has thus far not imposed travel restrictions on any countries with which it shares borders.
Israel has slam shut its borders to all foreign nationals, in a strict new measure, and is mandating quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.
Israel placed the southern African nations Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe on its 'red list' because of the discovery of the variant.
Israel said it would ban the entry of all foreigners into the country and reintroduce counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology to contain the spread of the variant.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that the ban, pending government approval, would last 14 days. Israelis entering the country, including those who are vaccinated, will be required to quarantine.
The ban will come into effect at midnight between Sunday and Monday. A travel ban on foreigners coming from most African states was imposed on Friday.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement from his office: 'We are close to an emergency situation... we must act strongly and quickly.'
Anti-lockdown also protesters demonstrated in the Hague after the government introduced new Covid-19 restrictions under a 'light' lockdown - and banned new years eve fireworks to prevent excess hospitalisations as doctors in the Netherlands focus on treating virus patients.
And Germany, Italy and the UK became the latest states to detect cases of the highly transmissible and potentially vaccine resistant Omicron strain, which was discovered in South Africa this week.
Authorities in Australia said two overseas travellers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to test positive for the super variant.
Officials confirmed Sunday that the two passengers were asymptomatic and were both vaccinated for COVID-19.
They were among a group of 14 passengers, who have now all gone into quarantine.
Omicron, dubbed a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organization, is potentially more contagious than previous variants of the disease, although experts do not know yet if it will cause more or less severe Covid-19 compared to other strains.
The discovery of the variant has sparked global concern, a wave of travel bans from southern Africa and fears over low vaccination rates. The new variant has also emerged as many countries in Europe are already battling a surge in Covid-19 infections, and some have re-introduced restrictions on social activity to try to stop the spread.
The Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency's phone-tracking technology will be used to locate carriers of the new variant in order to curb its transmission to others, Bennett said.
Used on and off since March 2020, the surveillance technology matched virus carriers' locations against other mobile phones nearby to determine with whom they had come into contact.
Israel's Supreme Court this year limited the scope of its use after civil rights groups mounted challenges over privacy concerns.
Israel has so far confirmed one case of Omicron, with seven suspected cases. The Health Ministry has not said whether the confirmed case was vaccinated.
Another 39,567 Covid cases were recorded in the UK today – down 3.36 per cent from 40,941 posted last Saturday – while the number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid fell by 12.7 per cent from 150 last week to 131
Graphs shown at a Downing Street press conference on Saturday showed the number of people who have been jabbed
Spain has also announced a ban on unvaccinated Brit tourists after neighbour Portugal said it would demand proof of a negative coronavirus test to let even the double-jabbed enter the country.
Officials have said anyone over age 12 must have had both doses of the jab even though the UK's vaccination rules don't allow second doses for that age group, Spain will therefore consider them unvaccinated.
The tightening-up of regulations governing entry to the UK's favourite foreign holiday destination comes into force on Wednesday, ending an exemption which means travellers without their Covid jabs could enter Spain with a negative test or proof of recovery from Covid.
The Spanish government confirmed the change in an official state bulletin published yesterday/on Saturday.
Antonio Mayor, President of Benidorm-based hotel association Hosbec, said he thought the effect would be 'minimal' on the Brit-popular Costa Blanca resort where the classic winter tourist is over 50 and double-jabbed.
But he added: 'Anything that creates barriers is less tourism.'
Officials have said the move will not not affected the estimated 300,000 Brits living in Spain.
The country's decision to tighten regulations follows Portugal's announcement that visitors will have to show proof of a negative coronavirus test to entry the country from December 1, even if they are fully-vaccinated.
The decision was taken before confirmation the new Omicron coronavirus variant had been detected in several European countries.
Portugal confirmed today and yesterday fines for those caught trying to dodge the new crackdown would face fines of between £255 and £680.
The measure is part of a package of new restrictions designed to tackle a new rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
Covid passports will become obligatory to enter restaurants, hotels and gyms in Portugal.
Discos have been told they must close between January 2 and 9 and the return to school after the festive season has been put back by a week to January 10.
Fines for airlines that transport anyone without proof of a Covid-19 test have been put at nearly £17,000.
Several regions of Spain have also started demanding Covid passports, or have indicated they will seek court authorisation to do so, for entry to places such as bars, nightclubs and hospitals.
Sajid Javid today insisted it is 'going to be a great Christmas' and the UK is 'nowhere near' proper lockdown as he desperately tried to cool panic over the new Omicron Covid variant.
The Health Secretary said the government was taking 'proportionate and balanced' precautions to 'buy time', confirming that masks will be compulsory again in shops and on public transport from Tuesday.
According to a message on the passenger locator form section of the Government’s website, day two tests for arrivals in the UK will also need to be PCRs rather than lateral flows from 4am on Tuesday.
But Mr Javid stressed there is no certainty that the 'super-mutant' strain will be able to dodge vaccines, or to what extent that could happen.
And asked whether there could be a return of even tougher curbs such as social distancing, he said there the government is 'nowhere near' that.
Urging people to keep planning for the festive season as they have been, Mr Javid told Sky News: 'It's going to be a great Christmas.'
The Cabinet minister said he was still only aware of two Omicron cases in the UK.
Mr Javid said the government will consider updating the recognised symptoms for Covid, after being told on the BBC's Andrew Marr show that reports in southern Africa suggested people did not lose sense of smell or taste and suffered more fatigue.
'We will of course if we need to,' he said.
The reassurance effort came after Boris Johnson announced changes to testing and isolation rules, and mandatory masks in shops and on trains in a bid to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible new variant.
At a hastily-arranged Downing Street press conference last night the PM painted a grim picture of the potential threat from the new 'super-mutant' strain - admitting he cannot guarantee Christmas will go ahead as hoped.
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