OREANDA-NEWS. Another country, Indonesia, will ban all foreign citizens from entering the country from January 1 to January 14 in order to prevent the spread of a new strain of coronavirus, Reuters reports with reference to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Indonesia reportedly banned all UK arrivals from the country last week, and also tightened rules for arrivals from Europe and Australia to contain the new "UK" variant of COVID-19.

Due to the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, the Indonesian authorities have previously banned all tourists from entering the country, an exception was made for those who came to the country for work. The new rules will apply to all foreign citizens, except for high-ranking officials.

The closure of borders occurs due to the discovery in the UK of a new strain of coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2. The UK's Advisory Board on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats has confirmed that the variant of the coronavirus identified in the country is spreading at a faster rate and requires more caution from the population. Although the new variant of the virus, according to preliminary estimates, may be 70% more infectious than the usual one, there is still nothing to suggest that it is more dangerous in terms of death or hospitalization.