Belgium Bans Travellers from Bangladesh, 26 Other Countries due to Covid Variant

Belgium has banned entry to travellers from 27 countries including Bangladesh in order to limit the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19.  

The order will take effect by June 27 at the latest, Jan Eyckmans, the spokesman for Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, told AFP on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a meeting on Friday of Belgian government's covid committee that sets the rules for fighting the spread of Covid-19 and will be published in the official journal in the coming days.

Of the 27 banned countries, Britain and Georgia are the only Europeans on Belgium's list. However, only non-EU travellers from these two countries will fall under this restriction.

The other countries are Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Qatar, Nepal, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Uganda, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Suriname, Peru and Pakistan.

Belgium is concerned about the Delta variant, which first emerged in India, that has caused a surge in Covid cases in the UK and has also emerged in several other countries.

With Belgium's restrictions, which already apply to South Africa, India and Brazil, only EU citizens or residents of Belgium will be able to enter the country.

Those travellers will still have to meet tight quarantine rules as well as take covid tests before being free to move in Europe.

The only exceptions for British or other non-EU travellers coming from a banned country will be diplomats on essential work and transport personnel, the government said.

So far in Belgium, the Delta variant accounts for 6.1 per cent of infections, according to the most recent official data, but other research indicates the actual rate is higher.

Eyckmans said the government did not want to jeopardise the massive effort made by the Belgians just when the country's vaccination rate had become the fastest in the EU.

"Britain is five weeks ahead of us in their vaccination drive and they had to postpone their plans to lift restrictions," Eyckmans said.

"But this is a temporary situation that will be re-evaluated regularly," he added.