Sunday, following the announcement of a new COVID-19 strain in the UK, the Kuwaiti Civil Aviation Authority announced a ban on flights coming from the UK, in addition to high risk European countries.

The Kuwaiti Civil Aviation Authority stated that the decision to ban flights coming from the United Kingdom was taken "based on the instructions of the health authorities."

The Kuwaiti decision comes as many countries around the world revealed preventive measures they will take, against the backdrop of British Health Minister Matt Hancock's announcement Sunday, that the new strain of the COVID-19 is out of control.

Hancock said, "It will be difficult to control the new strain of coronavirus before the vaccines are distributed on a large scale."

He added, "We want to put an end to the spread of the new strain of the virus through social distancing measures."

"Our plan is to finish vaccinating a million people within days," said Hancock, pointing to the decision to re-impose quarantine in London and the southeast of England, both of which are now in tier 4, the strongest level of COVID-19 restrictions which indicate a high-risk area.

Several countries rushed to take firm decisions following Hancock's remarks, as the Netherlands banned flights from the United Kingdom for the rest of the year (which may extend into 2021), and Belgium issued a flight ban starting at midnight Sunday, with trains to Britain also suspended.