Covid-19: Spain extends journey restrictions on arrivals from the UK, Brazil and South Africa till March 16 | Society

The Spanish cabinet extended on Wednesday Travel restrictions for arrivals from the UK, Brazil and South Africa until March 16. The measure is intended to prevent the contagious variants of the coronavirus found in these countries from arriving.

The current regulations state that only Spanish citizens or persons of other nationalities who are officially resident in Spain or Andorra can fly or sail into the country from the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Passengers traveling from these countries to a non-Schengen destination with a layover of less than 24 hours in Spain are not allowed to leave the international transit area of ​​the airport.

However, the agreement provides for some exemptions from the regulations and allows the Ministry of Health to lift the restrictions and allow one-off flight arrivals for legitimate reasons.

According to a report from the Ministry of Health, strain B.1.1.7 now accounts for almost 70% of new coronavirus cases in Asturias and almost 50% in Catalonia

Following the alert about the B.1.1.7 strain of the coronavirus, first discovered in the English county of Kent, restrictions on passenger travel from the UK by air and sea have been in place since December 22. Spain further restrictions introduced while traveling from Brazil and South Africa on February 2, after more infectious variants of the virus were identified in these countries. The rules should expire on March 2nd.

The Spanish cabinet decision comes as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain continues to subside. On Tuesday, the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 population fell below 250 – the threshold seen as an indication an “extreme risk” situation. However, health officials warned that there is a risk that Spain will see a new surge in cases where regions start Relaxation of restrictions on social gatherings and the hostel industry, and the Easter break is approaching.

The risk is exacerbated by the introduction of the new variants of the coronavirus, which are not only more contagious but also cause more serious diseases and, in the case of the South African tribe, can reduce the effectiveness of the current Covid-19 vaccines. According to a recent report from the Ministry of Health, strain B.1.1.7 is now responsible Almost 70% of new cases in Asturias and almost 50% in Catalonia. According to the document, a total of 916 infections of the new variants were found in Spain, most of which correspond to the strains found in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

Efforts to tackle the variants in Spain have been hampered by the countries low genetic sequencing capacity. While the European Commission wants all member states to genetically sequence 5% of all coronavirus cases, experts believe that Spain does not have the resources to sustainably achieve this goal, regardless of whether there are any infection spikes.

English version of Melissa Kitson.