Britain bans visitors from Denmark due to mutant covid strain found on mink farms

7 November 2020, 07:06

Britain has imposed an immediate travel ban on any visitors from Denmark.

The ban was brought in due a new strain of coronavirus that has been identified in the country that has spread from mink to humans.

All non-British national or resident travellers who have been in or transited through Denmark in the last 14 days will be denied entry into the UK.

The rule came into force as of 4am on Saturday.

The Government also announced it is expanding the self-isolation requirements for Denmark, after the country was removed from the Government's list of travel corridors on Friday.

British nationals or residents who are returning to the UK either directly or indirectly from the country are now required to self-isolate along with all other members of their household, until two weeks have passed since they were last there.

A spokeswoman from the Department for Transport said in a statement: "Unlike other travel to the UK, there will be no exemptions to this quarantine policy.

"Anyone who has returned from Denmark within the last two weeks will be contacted to ensure they complete the self-isolation needed to ensure the virus does not spread across the UK.

"The UK Government is working closely with international partners to understand the changes in the virus that have been reported in Denmark and we are conducting a programme of further research here in the UK to inform our risk assessments."

The travel ban and extra requirements will be reviewed after a week, the department added.

"Decisions on border measures and travel advice can be changed rapidly if necessary to help stop the spread of the disease and further announcements regarding freight will be made later today," the spokeswoman said.