The European Commission has recommended a travel ban to and from countries where the new variant of Covid-19 has been detected.
Concerns were first raised about the B.1.1.529 variant by officials in South Africa on Tuesday - and by Friday, Belgium detected Europe’s first confirmed case of the new strain.
Amid growing concerns that it could be more transmissible than the Delta variant, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, told member states they should suspend air travel to countries that have been linked to the new variant.
She told a briefing: “It is now important that all of us in Europe act very swiftly, decisively and united.
“The European Commission has proposed to member states to activate the emergency brake on travel from countries in Southern Africa and other countries affected to limit the spread of the new variant.”
Earlier on Friday, Belgium’s Health Minister announced Europe’s first confirmed infection from the new variant.
Frank Vandenbroucke told a media briefing: “We have a case that is now confirmed of this variant.”
The Belgian case was confirmed in an unvaccinated person returning from abroad. The infected person tested positive on November 22 and had not had Covid-19 before.
It is understood the person has no known links with South Africa and had travelled to Belgium from Egypt.
There are growing fears that the variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain, which caused the wave currently crippling Europe.
Experts are also concerned that it could contain high levels of resistance from vaccines.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has promised the Irish Government will “act quickly” to keep the new strain out of Ireland.
He said: “We don’t know much about this variant yet, we don’t yet know if it’s going to be a variant of concern, but given our experience with the Delta variant that originated in India, I think governments in the UK and Europe were slow to act on that, we want to make sure that we’re not slow to act on this occasion.
“So we’re going to act quickly.
“Minister (for Foreign Affairs, Simon) Coveney, Minister Donnelly and Minister (Eamon) Ryan are conferring at the moment and we expect them to make an announcement on travel restrictions later in the day.”
