Bolivia bans flights from Europe due to new coronavirus strain

LA PAZ, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivian government on Tuesday said it will ban flights from Europe between Dec. 25 and Jan. 8, in a bid to prevent the spread of a new strain of the coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom.

Safety regulations at air terminals will also be stepped up for incoming European flights, Deputy Health Minister Alvaro Terrazas said at a press conference.

"The decision has been taken to reinforce the measures and protocols for passengers from Europe. All will be subjected to laboratory tests ... to detect those who carry the disease," said Terrazas.

That will serve as a second screening as people who travel to Bolivia are already required to present the negative results of a COVID-19 test before boarding the plane, he noted.

There are no direct flights between the United Kingdom and Bolivia. Most passengers coming from the European continent enter the country via connections in the Spanish city of Madrid.

The United Kingdom a few days ago confirmed the existence of a new variant of the coronavirus that appears to be more contagious, though not necessarily more deadly. Several countries have announced a ban on flights from the United Kingdom as a precaution.

Bolivia reported 362 new daily cases of COVID-19 on Monday, for a total of 150,385 cases, and 9,043 deaths from the disease since the start of the outbreak.