Turkey bans flights from UK, others amid new virus strain

ANKARA - Turkey on Sunday joined some European countries in banning flights from Britain and other countries after the emergence of a new and more transmissible strain of COVID-19.

"Under the directives of our President in coordination with our Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a temporary suspension has been decided for flights from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, and South Africa to our country," Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new tier four of coronavirus restrictions for London and other parts of England to combat an alarming surge in infections linked to a new virulent strain.

"New variant (of the virus) may be up to 70 percent more transmissible," Johnson noted.