Countries around the world have begun banning flights and travellers from Britain as London admitted that a more infectious new coronavirus strain was spreading "out of control".

Here are the places that have announced travel bans so far.

Spain and Portugal

Spain and Portugal are suspending flights from the United Kingdom on Tuesday, with Madrid only allowing its nationals or residents to enter from Britain.

France

France has halted all travel from Britain for 48 hours from midnight, including anyone transporting goods "by road, air, sea or rail".

The ban on everything but unaccompanied freight comes as companies scramble to shift merchandise across the Channel with days to go until Britain leaves the EU trade bloc.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex's office said the 48-hour period would give time to coordinate an EU response that would allow travel from the UK to resume.

India

India suspended all flights from the UK from midnight until December 31, saying that anyone arriving from Britain on transit flights would be also tested.

Poland

Poland, which like India has a large diaspora population in Britain, said that flights were being banned from midnight.

Russia

Moscow is suspending flights from Britain for a week after a record jump in cases there.

Hong Kong

The former British colony is banning all UK flights arriving from midnight, and the quarantine of passengers who arrived from Britain in the last fortnight is being extended.

All international arrivals must already spend 14 days in isolation in a hotel.

Germany

Germany halted air links with the UK from midnight, with the ban slated to last until December 31.

Cargo flights will be exempt.

A government source told AFP that Berlin is already "working on measures" to extend the suspension into January.

Netherlands

All passenger flights from Britain have been banned until January 1. One case of the new strain has been found in the country, the health ministry said.

Ireland

Flights from Britain from midnight were banned for at least 48 hours. The country shares a highly-porous 499-kilometre (310-mile) border with the UK.

Italy

Italy has blocked flights from Britain and prohibited entry of people who have stayed there during the last 14 days.

Anyone in Italy who recently travelled from Britain must be tested, the statement added.

The new strain has been found in one person in Italy who recently returned from the UK.

Rest of Europe

Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium banned flights for 24 hours, Finland for two weeks and Switzerland until further notice, with travellers who have arrived from Britain or South Africa -- where the new strain has also appeared -- ordered into quarantine.

Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have also halted flights, while in the Balkans Croatia, Macedonia and Albania following suit with Bulgaria suspended them until January 31.

Romania is banning all flights to and from the UK for two weeks, as is the Czech Republic.

Norway and Denmark suspended flights for 48 hours with Sweden expected to make a formal announcement later Monday.

Denmark has detected nine cases of the new strain on its soil.

Canada

Canada has banned all UK flights for 72 hours, with those who had already arrived from Britain on Sunday subject to screenings and other measures.

Turkey

Turkey has suspended flights from Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia and Oman said they were closing their borders entirely for at least a week because of the new strain.

Israel said it was barring entry to foreign citizens travelling from Britain, Denmark and South Africa, while Jordan is banning UK flights for a fortnight, as is Iran.

Kuwait has added Britain to a list of "high-risk" nations and banned flights.

Africa

Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia have all banned flights from Britain, with Algeria deciding to stop repatriating its nationals.

Mauritius, a former British colony, has also barred travel from the UK and South Africa.

Latin America

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said that anyone who had been in Britain or South Africa in the past 30 days will not be allowed to enter the country.

Peru went further, banning all flights from Europe and the entry of any foreigner who had been in Britain in the last fortnight.

Argentina has banned flights from the UK, while Chile is suspending them from Tuesday.

The government said anyone without a Chilean residence permit who had been in Britain in the past two weeks would be barred from entry.