NNA - Germany and Italy on Friday joined Britain in banning most travel from South Africa as governments scramble to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 variant with a large number of mutations.

In a sign of the growing alarm, the European Union has separately proposed prohibiting travel from southern Africa.

The EU's executive "will propose, in close coordination with member states, to activate the emergency brake to stop air travel from the southern African region due to the variant of concern B.1.1.529," EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen tweeted Friday.

Germany's new travel restrictions, starting Friday night, will affect South Africa and "probably neighbouring nations", Spahn said, with only German nationals allowed entry.

They must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival even if vaccinated.

"The last thing we need now is an introduced new variant that causes even more problems," Spahn said, with Germany in the grip of a ferocious fourth wave of the pandemic.—AFP

==========R.H.