UK bans passengers from Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo to control spread of COVID variant

(Reuters) – Britain is banning all arrivals from Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo from Friday to stop the spread of the South Africa COVID-19 variant, transport secretary Grant Shapps said in a tweet on Thursday.

“All passengers from these countries except British & Irish Nationals and third country nationals with residents rights will be denied entry,” Shapps wrote in his tweet.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)