EU wants to stop flights from southern Africa over variant

The European Union's executive said on Friday it wants to stop air travel from southern Africa to counter the spread of a new COVID-19 variant.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that she “proposes, in close coordination with the member states, to activate the emergency brake to stop air travel from the southern African region.” A new coronavirus variant has been detected in South Africa that scientists say is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, the country's most populous province.

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