The new variant of COVID-19 displayed in Brazil, UK makes the extreme decision

The UK has banned all travel from South America and Portugal due to a new variant of COVID-19 discovered in Brazil.

The restriction, which took effect Friday morning, does not apply to British, Irish or UK citizens, said Transport Minister Grant Shapps.

Citizens and residents returning from the trip must be isolated for ten days.

Freight drivers from Portugal traveling to the UK are also exempt from the restriction.

Shapps justified Portugal's involvement in the precautionary measure because of "the country's important ties with Brazil."

Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva called Britain's latest decision "absurd" and "illogical" in an interview with Diario de Noticias.

He said there was no evidence that the coronavirus variant was circulating in Portugal.

The new variant was identified in persons who had arrived in Japan from Brazil.

Scientists say it is different from the variant discovered in England, which forced many countries in the world to take restrictive measures against travel to the UK.

Brazil suspended flights from Britain during the Christmas period due to concerns about the new mutation, which is thought to be 50% more contagious than the original version of COVID-19.