Gov. Inslee announces travel restrictions on arrivals from UK, South Africa

Gov. Inslee on Monday issued a 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from the U.K., South Africa, and any other countries found to have a new variant of COVID-19. This strain is not known to be more deadly so far, but it is more transmissible.

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Inslee said there is no estimate on how long the order for travelers will last. The quarantine is more than a recommendation, it is a legal requirement, the governor said.

Countries across the world have imposed travel restrictions on flights in and out of the United Kingdom after it was learned the country is dealing with a new strain of COVID-19.

“We haven’t seen any variant in the U.S. at this moment but we can’t say for sure,” said Trevor Bedford, an Associate Professor of Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutch. He added that it’s wise to try to limit the spread of this new strain.

Bedford said that the new variant first emerged in the U.K. in late September is is now the predominant variant in London.

If you’ve recently traveled from these countries, it’s encouraged that you get tested to make sure you haven’t had this new strain of the virus.

“This is not a mandate or a ban on travel, but we’re very clearly encouraging people to get tested,” said Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases.

Inslee pointed out that the federal government has not issued a national restriction for travelers to and from the UK or South Africa.

On a positive note, Gov. Inslee said current data in Washington state suggests we’re not going to see a post-Thanksgiving spike.

“This means we need to do the same things to avoid that Thanksgiving acceleration,” Inslee said. “We need to continue to avoid indoor gatherings. ”

Canada, India, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden were among the countries that suspended flights from Britain for various lengths of time.

In the United States, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been calling on the U.S. to halt flights as well, said he asked airlines flying into his state from the U.K. to make all passengers take a coronavirus test before boarding. He said at least one carrier, British Airways, agreed to do so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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