Extension of the landing ban also for flights from South Africa and Great Britain.
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Due to the mutations in the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health has also imposed a landing ban for flights from Brazil, according to an amended regulation published on Saturday.
In addition, the existing landing ban for flights from Great Britain and South Africa was extended. Aircraft coming from Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil are therefore not allowed to land in Austria until February 7th. The amendment to the ordinance is to come into force on Monday.
With viruses, random changes in the genetic material, called mutations, occur constantly. Some give the pathogen advantages – for example by making it easier to transmit. The mutations of the virus in the variants detected in Brazil, Great Britain and South Africa are suspected to be more contagious than the wild type of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus.
According to British experts, the variant that appeared in Great Britain is 30 to 70 percent easier to transfer than the previously prevalent one. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said on Friday that there were “some indications” that the British variant of the corona virus may also be more deadly than the previously prevalent one.
According to the German Robert Koch Institute, the variations found in Brazil are similar to those in South Africa in terms of their changes. An “increased transmissibility (transferability, note) is considered conceivable”.
