NEW DELHI, Dec 21: India has banned UK flights in view of the new mutated strain of coronavirus spreading there. Russia, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Norway have also joined European countries in suspending flights to and from the UK, where the coronavirus epidemic has gone out of control. The new strain of the pathogen is accounting for 60% of the covid infections in the country. The new strain also spreads faster by 70%.

Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland are among the European countries which banned flights from the UK from Sunday.

Kuwait said it was suspending commercial flights from Monday till January 1. The decision will be reviewed any time.

Dr Vivek Murthy, who will be US Surgeon General under the new Biden administration, told NBC News that the mutated strain may not be deadlier. What effect the vaccines will have is not known.

England declared a lockdown since Sunday night. All streets are deserted. People have been advised to stay home in London.

In the last 24 hours there were 35,928 new cases which is double than last week's and 326 new deaths, the tally reaching 67,401 deaths.