Sweden bans travellers from Britain, Denmark over new COVID strain

Sweden will stop allowing in foreign travellers from Britain and Denmark in a bid to curb the rapid spread of a new strain of the coronavirus, the government said on Monday. Denmark's infectious disease authority said last week it had found nine cases of coronavirus infections involving the new strain from Nov 14.

Sweden will stop allowing in foreign travellers from Britain and Denmark in a bid to curb the rapid spread of a new strain of the coronavirus, the government said on Monday. "To minimize the risk of it spreading here, the government has today decided on a ban of entry," Minister for the Interior Mikael Damberg told a news conference, adding that Swedish citizens were exempt from the ban.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that the new strain had led to spiralling infection numbers, and several European countries have since announced restrictions on travel. Denmark's infectious disease authority said last week it had found nine cases of coronavirus infections involving the new strain from Nov 14. to Dec. 3. It said it was monitoring the new strain closely.