(Photo: AFP-Yonhap News)
South Korea has decided to suspend all flights arriving from the United Kingdom until the end of the year amid concerns over the spread of a new variant of COVID-19.
The measure, which took immediate effect on Wednesday, will remain in place until at least December 31.
Senior health ministry official Yoon Tae-ho announced the move during a press briefing, explaining that if travelers from the U.K. test positive for COVID-19, they will also be checked for the new strain of the virus.
Local health authorities said they have not yet detected the mutated strain in South Korea.
Seoul's diplomatic missions in Britain will also stop issuing quarantine waivers for the time being, which means all arrivals from the U.K. will have to quarantine for 14 days and undergo an additional virus test when they are released.
In addition, the criteria for body temperature checks at airports will be lowered to 37.3 degrees Celsius from the current 37.5 degrees.
British officials said the new variant of the coronavirus is 70 percent more transmissible sparking concerns around the world and prompting travel restrictions by multiple European countries as well as Canada and Japan.
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