Bahrain imposes travel ban on six African countries

Order issued amid mounting concerns over new coronavirus variant

A Gulf Air plane prepares for take-off from Bahrains' international airport in the capital Manama. AFP

Bahrain has banned entry to travellers from South Africa and five other southern African nations due to concerns related to the spread of Covid-19.

The other countries on the list are Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, the state news agency BNA reported on Friday.

The ban announced by the civil aviation authority excludes Bahraini citizens and those with Bahraini residency visa holders, it said.

Bahrain joins a growing list of countries that have placed restrictions on travellers from some African nations following the emergence of the B.1.1.529 coronavirus variant, including Israel, Britain and Singapore.