The German government has agreed to ban all travel from high-risk countries, including South Africa, UK, Portugal and Brazil.

According to Spiegel magazine, the restrictions are due to be signed on Friday and could come into force as early as Saturday

Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced this ahead of a meeting with European Union ministers on Thursday, in an effort to limit new virus mutations entering the country.

The ban will include all air, train and road travel, but German nationals who are returning home could be excluded.