It said in a statement Monday, the UK has been classified as "extremely high risk" because of the "recent rebound of the epidemic situation and the widespread delta variant virus strain there." More than 95 percent of Covid-19 cases in the UK are of the delta variant, which was first identified in India. Scientists say the delta variant is much more transmissible than previous versions of the coronavirus, although it is uncertain if it is more deadly. It is the second time the Hong Kong government has banned flights from the UK, following a restriction imposed last December. He estimated countries need to have at least 80 percent of their populations immunized to stop the spread of the delta variant.

Source: Manila Times June 29, 2021 17:03 UTC