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Covid 19: UK isolation grows as more countries ban travel
Date Added: December 21, 2020 06:22:15 PM
Author: Sutra Web Directory
Category: Regional: United Kingdom

More countries have banned arrivals from the UK because of concerns at the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.

Hong Kong has joined countries such as Switzerland, Germany, and Italy and has suspended UK flights.

On Sunday evening , France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, meaning no lorries or ferries will be able to sail from the port of Dover.

As queues grow in Kent, the prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee later.

Belgium, the Irish Republic and Canada have also suspended flights.

Austria is also set to bring in a ban, while Bulgaria has suspended flights to and from the UK from midnight. Unlike the short-term measures in many other nations, its ban lasts until 31 January.

European Union member states are due to meet in Brussels later to discuss a co-ordinated response.

Coronavirus cases in the UK rose by 35,928 on Sunday - nearly double the number recorded seven days previously.

And it was announced that a further 326 people died within 28 days of testing positive, bringing the nation's total to 67,401.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the new variant of the virus - which may be up to 70% more transmissible - is "getting out of control".

The new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England, but health officials say there is no evidence that it is more deadly or would react differently to vaccines.

On Monday, the government pledged to provide refunds for rail and coach tickets bought for the Christmas travel window between 23 - 27 December, after millions of people across the UK saw their festive plans severely restricted or scrapped.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said this would apply to journeys in England booked on or after 24 November, when the Christmas travel window was announced.

Analysis by Simon Jones, BBC correspondent, at the port of Dover

Here at the entrance to the port, a big sign warns drivers - the French border is closed.

But the message hasn't got through to everyone. A steady steam of lorries and cars have been arriving, only to be promptly turned away.

The Port and Eurotunnel shut to traffic heading to France at around 23:00 GMT last night - in what is being described as an unprecedented situation.

One haulier who was stuck in a queue and failed to get on a ferry on time told me he turned around and went home.

But that option simply isn't available to foreign drivers. They are facing at least two days stuck in their cabs.

Part of the M20 motorway has been turned into a giant lorry park, as the government pleads with hauliers not to head to Kent.

It's set to be a challenging few day on this side of the Channel.

Kent Police has put Operation Stack into force on the M20 towards Dover to queue lorries caught up in the disruption.

The coast-bound carriageway of the motorway has been shut between Junctions 8 and 11 as a "contingency measure", the force said.

Manston Airport in Kent is being readied to take up to 4,000 lorries to ease congestion in the county, the Department for Transport has said.

On Monday morning, Mr Shapps said the situation in Kent was "not too disrupted" saying "it's mostly European and French hauliers getting caught up in this" and that about 20% of the overall 32,000 units of freight shipped today affected by the restrictions.

Asked if he could guarantee that Covid-19 vaccine supplies - which come from Belgium - would not be affected by travel bans, Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: "Yes I can - and the reason is actually that the vaccine wasn't coming in through the roll on, roll off - precious few lorries had brought it in that way.

"It comes via containers and the container traffic isn't affected at all, so this isn't an issue with the vaccine at all."

The transport secretary added that he would speak to his opposite number Jean-Baptiste Djebbari later, adding that France was "very keen to get the hauliers moving again".

Iain Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, told BBC Breakfast there was "no need" for shoppers to panic-buy as a result of the border restrictions, but there was "concern" around food supplies in the longer term, particularly after Christmas.

Unaccompanied freight, such as containers or lorry trailers on their own, can still be transported.

About 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais during peak periods such as Christmas.

Freight industry lobby group Logistics UK appealed for calm from shoppers, and said it was "maintaining close contact with UK government to ensure that supplies of fresh produce are available throughout Christmas and the new year".

Speaking to the BBC, the group's general manager Alex Veitch called on the government to offer rapid coronavirus testing to lorry drivers.

Although freight from France is still allowed to enter Britain, there are fears lorry drivers might not travel because they fear being stuck in the UK over Christmas.

Eurotunnel services to France are also suspended and Eurostar trains to Belgium are not operating.

Meanwhile, UK-EU talks to agree a post-Brexit trade deal are set to continue after the two sides missed a deadline for terms set by the European parliament.

MEPs had said they needed to see the terms of any deal by Sunday evening if they are going to be able to ratify it before the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December.

~ Via BBC