The Chinese embassy in the UK announced on Wednesday that it will suspend entry of non-Chinese nationals in the UK due to rising cases of COVID-19 across Britain.
Holders of "diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas" would not be affected, but emergency foreign national visits will need to apply through relevant embassy or consulates, the notice read.
"The suspension is a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19. The above-mentioned measures will be assessed in accordance with the evolving situation and any adjustment will be announced accordingly," the notice said.
The news comes as the UK struggles with record high cases of COVID-19, with over 1.1m cases and nearly 48,000 deaths reported to date, according to data from John Hopkins University.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson revealed plans for a second lockdown aimed at tackling rising cases across England, forcing pubs, gyms, restaurants and other non-essential facilities close for roughly four weeks with potential extensions.
The developments come amid numerous diplomatic rows between London and Beijing over the latter's national security law and the former's ban of Huawei Technologies from British networks in July this year, among others.
