#STOPFURFARMING
Mink farm Covid-19 variant impacts Premier League stars joining international teams
By Matias Grez, CNN 

A new variant of Covid-19 found in Danish mink farms is disrupting the plans of international football teams for their upcoming fixtures, with UK-based footballers, including eight Premier League stars, notably affected.

 Ima Minks are seen at a farm in Gjol, northern Denmark on October 9, 2020. - Around 100.000 mink are to be put down at various farms in Denmark due to contamination with the Covid-19 coronavirus. (Photo by Henning Bagger / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT 

On Saturday, the United Kingdom banned travelers from Denmark due to the outbreak. UK citizens and visa holders will be able to return but will have to quarantine with all members of their household for 14 days.

"The decision to act quickly follows the release of further information from health authorities in Denmark reporting widespread outbreaks of coronavirus (COVID-19) in mink farms, with a variant strain of the virus spreading to some local communities," said the UK government in a statement.

The new travel guidance has created complications for several international football fixtures, with the Danish national team's matches notably affected.

Denmark is set to play at home to Sweden and Iceland in the coming days. Iceland is then due to travel from Denmark to England to play Gareth Southgate's side in the final Nations League group stage match on November 18.

Since June, around the time the Premier League agreed to return to play, elite athletes have been exempt from Covid-19 travel restrictions imposed by the UK government. However, there will be no exemptions provided to sports stars arriving in the country from Denmark.

READ: As coronavirus cases surge, hundreds of footballers jet off thousands of miles round the world

The Danish Premier League stars affected include Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel, Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, Everton's Jonas Lossl, Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard and Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while the impacted Swedish internationals are Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof, Everton's Robin Olsen and Newcastle's Emil Krafth.

One Scottish Premier League player -- Rangers defender Filip Helander -- and Watford midfielder Ken Sema, who plays in the Championship, are also affected.

However, the Swedish quintet will be available for selection for the other two matches, against Croatia and France, according to Sweden's national team manager Stefan Pettersson.