Britain is adding the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda to its coronavirus travel ban list from Friday over the spread of a more contagious and potentially vaccine-resistant COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa, transport minister Grant Shapps announced on Thursday.

The decision prompted Emirates Airways and Etihad Airways to suspend flights to the UK. Emirates said on their websites they would suspend all UK passenger flights from 1300 GMT on Friday while Etihad said they would only suspend journeys to the UK, with outbound flights remaining unaffected.

In announcing the new bans, Shapps said, "This means people who have been in or transited through these countries will be denied entry, except British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights who must self-isolate for ten days at home."