PEOPLE travelling into Wales from South Africa will now have to self-isolate after a new coronavirus variant was reported in the country.

In a statement, health minister Vaughan Gething also said that passenger planes and ships travelling directly from South Africa, and accompanied freight, will no longer be able to land or dock at Welsh ports.

"All travellers arriving into Wales who have been in South Africa in the previous 10 days will be required to isolate for 10 days and will only be able to leave isolation in very limited circumstances," he said.

"The same isolation requirements will also apply to all members of their household.

"These enhanced isolation requirements will also apply to persons already in Wales who have been in South Africa in the last 10 days and members of their households."

The restrictions come into force from 9am this morning.

READ MORE:

A decision to impose restrictions on people travelling to the UK from South Africa was taken yesterday by the UK government.

The majority of flights from South Africa to the UK route through English airports.

"A growing number of countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have imposed travel restrictions on South Africa and we expect others to do the same," said Mr Gething.

The new variant of Covid-19 which has been detected in South Africa is different to the UK variant.

However, it may share similar properties in terms of higher transmission.

There are reported to currently be two cases of the South African variant of Covid-19 in England.