Europen Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Friday that the European Union is taking the news of the new COVID-19 variant "very seriously," adding the EU mist act "very swiftly, decisively and united." The Commission advised an emergency break to member states, including a ban on air travel to southern Africa and other affected countries, while returning travelers should "respect strict quarantine rules."
The ban should stay in place "until we have a clear understanding of the danger posed by this new variant," Von der Leyen said. She also reminded that the EU's contract with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers says that the vaccine "must be adapted immediately" to new variants as they emerge.
