Israel is essentially closing its skies to most foreign nationals starting Wednesday afternoon. Saudi Arabia went even further in trying to halt the variant from gaining traction, announcing a one-week ban on all international travel, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Kuwait on Monday evening suspended all commercial international flights and closed its land and sea borders until Jan. 1.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong on Monday also closed its borders to travelers from Britain, saying all passenger flights from the country would be barred starting at midnight. The ban will be extended for the first time to Hong Kong residents. On Tuesday, the government of Fiji said all inbound passenger flights would be suspended starting Thursday until at least Dec. 28, citing the British variant.
In South America, Argentina and Colombia canceled flights to and from Britain and imposed a quarantine for travelers who had been there. Peru suspended all flights originating in Europe for two weeks and suspended indefinitely all flights from Britain, including those with layovers in the country. El Salvador enacted restrictions on entry for people who in the last 30 days had been to Britain or South Africa, where a different variant is also driving a new wave of infections.
Starting on Tuesday, Chile banned nonresident foreign nationals who have been in Britain in the last 14 days from entering the country and suspended flights to and from the country.
Canada, India, Iran and Russia also issued new restrictions.
In the United States, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CNN that he would advise against suspending flights from Britain, but that officials should watch the variant closely.
“Follow it carefully, but don’t overreact to it,” he said.
The new variant, first detected several months ago, spread through southeastern England and has also been identified in small numbers in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, according to World Health Organization officials.
