Update 16 March: Spain and Portugal have agreed to restrict tourism travel over their shared border, allowing only goods and workers to cross. Spain is also reportedly considering closing all of its borders.
Poland has now suspended domestic flights following the cancellation of international services.
Georgia has banned all foreigners from entering the country.
In addition to closing all of its borders, Albania will ban all flights to and from the UK from midnight on 16 March.
Update 16 March: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has
proposed banning non-essential travel to the EU for 30 days in an effort to
stop the spread of Covid-19.
Von der Leyen made the statement during a conference call
with the leaders of the Group of Seven advanced industrial economies on Monday,
and she later said on Twitter that any restrictions, which would need to be
approved by EU heads, can be prolonged “as necessary”.
Travel between the UK and EU will continue to be allowed
under the plans, which are due to be finalised on Tuesday. There would also be
exemptions for EU citizens travelling home, healthcare workers and scientists
working on treatments for the virus, as well as people who commute across EU
borders for their jobs, according to Bloomberg.
Update 17 March: Hungary will close its borders to all foreign nationals, except those who are resident in the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recommended Brits leave Hungary as soon as possible.
Russia will restrict entry for foreigners from 18 March until 1 May, excluding transit passengers, those resident in Russia and those on diplomatic missions.
Lithuanian officials have declared a quarantine over the entire country until 30 March, with foreigners unable to enter during this time. Those with residency may be allowed in, but they are required to enter self-isolation for 14 days upon arrival.
Finland announced it will be making changes to border arrangements, with incoming passenger traffic to be suspended as soon as possible except for Finnish nationals and residents.
Several European countries have started
closing their borders to non-citizens in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19
as global cases continue to rise.
Starting Monday, Norway closed its seaports,
airports and passenger rail arrivals to travellers who are not Norwegian
citizens. This measure follows a series of mandates implemented in the country
last week to curtail what has been a rapid increase of confirmed Covid-19
cases, which had reached 1,256 as of Sunday night, according to Johns
Hopkins University, a leading resource for tracking the spread of the
disease. It is unclear how long the ban is set to last.
Last week, Norwegian prime minister Erna
Solberg had mandated a 14-day quarantine for all foreign travellers arriving in
Norway. The new restriction overrules the previous measure. Solberg has also
mandated school and university closures, as well as restrictions on restaurant,
bar, cinema and gym club operations – which ultimately required most of these
businesses to close for a 14-day period.
Denmark has implemented similar
restrictions on foreign travellers. Prime minister Mette Fredriksen announced
the border closure at a press conference on Friday night, giving less than
24-hours’ notice to implement the measure by midday Saturday. At the time of
the announcement, the country had confirmed 801 Covid-19 cases.
Germany, which has reported 5,778 cases,
has closed land border crossings with France, which has reported 5,437 cases.
Additional land border closures will affect Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg and
Switzerland from 8am on Monday. The timeline of the closure is unclear. Borders
with Belgium, the Netherlands and Liechtenstein remain open for now.
France has drastically restricted its
border crossings but stressed the country had not closed its borders.
Poland has closed its borders for 14 days
from Sunday, 15 March. The country has taken similar measures to close schools
and universities, as well as restaurants, bars, cinemas, gyms and other
facilities where people may come into close contact. The government also has
banned gatherings of more than 50 people. Poland has 125 confirmed cases inside
its borders.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia have
likewise closed their borders to non-citizens. Lithuania announced land border
checks with Poland and Latvia in an effort to tamp down the spread of
coronavirus.
Russia has recorded 63 Covid-19 cases. The
country is bordered by 14 other countries and has adopted various policies. Borders
to three countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus and Finland – remain open. But Russia has
closed its land borders between Georgia, Norway and Poland. Entering Russia
from Kazakhstan now requires a foreign passport. Lithuanians must enter the
country at land crossings in a private car – or on foot.
Russia has also suspended or drastically
curtailed rail service to several countries, including China, Georgia, Latvia,
Mongolia, Ukraine and other nations. Additionally, the country has suspended
airlift primarily to countries that have closed their own borders, like the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway. It has drastically
reduced airlift to EU countries even if the borders remain open.
US expands travel ban to Ireland and UK
Meanwhile, the US government extended its
restrictions for European travellers to the US to include the UK and Ireland,
after announcing last Wednesday a policy that would ban
EU travellers from the Schengen region. The US Covid-19 count stands at
3,774 confirmed cases, with testing expected to roll out in earnest this week.
The UK has now reported 1,372 cases, while Ireland has 169.