Kuwait is banning flights arriving from the United Kingdom amid reports of a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain in Britain.

On instructions from health authorities, “commercial flights from the United Kingdom are added to the ban list of countries … prohibited to enter the State of Kuwait" the Kuwaiti civil aviation authority said in English on Twitter on Sunday, without giving a duration for the ban.

The move came as several European countries announced a suspension of flights from the UK amid news of the strain.

The World Health Organization also asked European countries to redouble their health measures amid the new fast-spreading strain./aa