All 27 European member states agreed on Friday, November 26 to temporarily suspend travel from seven southern African nations over the outbreak of a new coronavirus variant, according to the Slovenian EU presidency, Deutsche Welle reports.

A committee of health experts "agreed on the need to activate the emergency break and impose temporary restriction on all travel into EU from southern Africa," the Slovenia presidency of the EU said on Twitter.

It comes after the European Commission proposed activating the so-called "emergency brake" to the bloc's shared coronavirus travel rules earlier on Friday.

Member states agreed to the measure within a matter of hours.

The emergence of the new B.1.1.529 coronavirus variant, which the WHO has officially named omicron, in South Africa sparked international concern, with a growing list of countries announcing travel curbs on countries in southern Africa.

South Africa denounced the imposition of travel restrictions, calling it "draconian," unscientific and contrary to WHO advice. Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a media briefing that South Africa was acting with transparency and travel bans were against the norms and standards of the WHO, which held an emergency meeting over the variant.