Stricter isolation rules for people travelling from Denmark to Wales after mutated COVID-19 strain found on mink farms
The Welsh Government has introduced stricter isolation requirements for people travelling from Denmark after a mutated form of coronavirus that can spread to humans was found on mink farms.
The World Health Organization has said mutated COVID-19 strains have been linked to the minks and, in some cases, passed onto humans.
The Danish government has ordered the slaughter of all farmed mink in the country after the reported discovery of a mutant form of coronavirus in the animals which has spread to humans.
According to Danish newspaper reports, 207 mink farms have seen infections of coronavirus, all 17 million farmed mink in Denmark will now be culled.
New measures came into force in Wales from 4am today, Saturday 7 November.
Anyone arriving in the UK from Denmark overnight will be legally required to isolate for 14 days. This will not only apply to individuals, but to their households too.
The move coincides with the UK Government’s implementation of immigration powers, which mean all non-British national or resident travellers who’ve been in or transited through Denmark in the last 14 days will be denied entry into the UK.
The Welsh government said that “urgent action has been taken following reports from health authorities in Denmark that widespread outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in mink farms, with subsequent spread of a mink-variant virus to the local community.”
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:
“This is a precautionary measure based on early evidence from Health Authorities in Denmark.”
“By taking further action now, closing travel corridors and requiring individuals and their households to isolate, we aim to prevent risk to Wales and the UK from this new strain.”
“Public Health Wales will be in touch with Welsh residents who have been in Denmark in the past 14 days to explain that we will require them and their households to isolate as an extra precautionary measure.
“These measures are being taken with the safety of the public in mind. These are early days and we need to take extra caution while we learn more about this developing situation.”
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