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LONDON – Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency response meeting on Monday to discuss international travel, in particular the flow of cargo in and out of Britain when Canal transport stopped, his office spokesman said on Sunday. .
There is alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to skyrocket there.
The pound slipped more than 1% on news of the fast-spreading virus, and one official said “significant differences” remain in trade talks with the European Union. The pound fell to $ 1.3363 early Monday.
Earlier Sunday, several European countries began closing their doors to travelers from Great Britain after the country tightened Covid-19 restrictions in London and southern England to try to slow the spread of a new strain of the coronavirus. .
France said it would ban all people coming from the UK for 48 hours starting Sunday night, including freight carriers, whether by road, air, sea or rail. The British port of Dover said its ferry terminal was closed.
Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ordered the suspension of flights from Britain, while Scotland and Ireland said they would impose restrictions on their neighbor’s flights and ferries. Belgium said it would close its borders to flights and trains, including the popular Eurostar service, from the UK. Austria also plans to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said. Several countries further afield announced closures to UK traffic.
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the Covid-19 variant discovered in London needed to be investigated before the movement could resume.
“The Prime Minister will chair an emergency response meeting … to discuss the situation regarding international travel, in particular the constant flow of cargo to and from the UK. More meetings will be held tonight and tomorrow morning to ensure solid plans are put in place, ”the spokesperson said.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps urged the British, especially shippers, not to travel to the ports of Kent in southern England, warning on Twitter that “we expect a significant disruption in the area.”
The travel restrictions come at a difficult time for many British companies, engaging in last-minute warehousing before December 31, when a transition period from the status quo with the European Union ends and new customs rules come into force.
Dover Port CEO Doug Bannister said earlier this month that Europe’s largest trucking port was already posting near-record trade volumes.
“The new variant in Britain has added a twist to the battle against the virus that many countries in Europe are waging. Britain’s number of coronavirus cases rose by 35,928 on Sunday, the highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, and recorded 326 deaths, bringing the official figure to more than 67,000.
Reuters
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