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Belgium bans entry of British citizens to stop Covid-Variant

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BRUSSELS: Belgium will ban entry to non-EU travellers from Britain in order to limit the outspread of  Covid-19 variant that has forced London to delay the lifting of its pandemic curbs.

Britain is on a top list of 27 nations that will also face the order which will take effect by June 27 at the latest, Jan Eyckmans, the spokesman for Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, told AFP on Saturday.

Belgium is concerned about the 'Delta Variant' which first came out in India, that has caused a surge in Covid cases in Britain, and forced the UK government to jettison plans to ease curbs from June 21.

With Belgium´s restrictions, which is already applied to South Africa, India and Brazil, only EU citizens or residents of Belgium will be able to enter the country.

Those travellers also  still have to meet tight quarantine rules as well as take covid tests before being free to move in Europe.

The only exceptions for British or other non-EU travellers coming from a banned country will be diplomats on necessary work and transport personnel, the of Belgium government of Belgium said.

So far in Belgium, the Delta variant accounts for 6.1 percent of infections, according to the most recent official data and news, but other research indicates that it's possible the actual rate is higher.

Eyckmans said the government did not want to jeopardize the massive effort made by the Belgians just when the country´s vaccination rate had become the fastest in the whole EU.

"Britain is five weeks ahead of us in their vaccination drive and still they had to postpone their plans to lift all restrictions," Eyckmans said.

"But this is a temporary situation that will be re-evaluated regularly as soon as possible," he added.

The ban would tighten the current situation in which British travellers have to show proof of the necessary nature of their trip when making a visit from Britain.

The decision was taken at a meeting on Friday of Belgian government´s covid committee that sets the rules to control the spreading of Covid-19 and will be published in the official journal in the coming days.

One of the 27 banned countries, Britain and Georgia are the only Europeans on the Belgium´s list.

The other countries are Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Qatar, Nepal, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Bangladesh, Uganda, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Suriname, Peru and Pakistan.