New COVID Strain Hits Europe as Southern Africa Flights Banned

New COVID Strain Hits Europe as Southern Africa Flights Banned

The WHO said it could take several weeks to understand the variant and cautioned against imposing travel curbs while scientific evidence was still scant. (AFP)

A new Covid-19 strain first detected in southern Africa emerged in Europe and Israel on Friday as nations rushed to ban flights to slow the spread of the variant, feared able to overwhelm current pandemic measures.

Markets plunged as news sank in that the new variant -- more infectious than the highly contagious Delta and possibly more resistant to vaccines -- could potentially deal a heavy blow to the global recovery.

Scientists are now racing to determine the threat posed by the heavily mutated strain, designated by its scientific name B.1.1.529.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it could take several weeks to understand the variant and cautioned against imposing travel curbs while scientific evidence was still scant.

Europe is already struggling with a coronavirus surge. Returning restrictions have sparked rioting in some areas, including the French Caribbean island of Martinique where 10 police officers were injured on Thursday.

Belgium's government announced the first publicly known case of B.1.1.529 in Europe: an unvaccinated person who returned on November 11 from Egypt via Turkey. The health ministry did not give the