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The new variant of the virus, which has also been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appears to spread more easily than other types, but there is no evidence that it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines, according to experts.
A passenger wearing a protective mask registers at Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, on May 18, 2020. Image: AFP.
BRUSSELS – The European Commission on Tuesday urged EU nations to lift travel bans on Britain to stop the spread of a variant of the coronavirus that has swept the UK and sparked global panic just as they are launching. vaccines around the world.
The new variant of the virus, which has also been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appears to spread more easily than other types, but there is no evidence that it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines, according to experts.
However, its discovery has raised fears that led more than two dozen countries around the world to suspend flights from the UK as a precaution.
With the bans unleashing travel chaos during the holiday season, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, recommended lifting border restrictions with Britain and urged that passengers be tested for viruses within 72 hours. prior to the trip.
“The flight and train bans should be suspended given the need to guarantee essential travel and avoid disruptions in the supply chain,” said a statement from the EU executive.
Several EU member states are among those imposing flight, train and ferry bans on UK arrivals since Britain announced the discovery of the new coronavirus strain.
The ban on arrivals to France has led to long cargo truck collapses in southern England and disrupted passenger travel in the run-up to Christmas.
EU member states are responsible for their own borders, but representatives will meet later Tuesday to study the Commission’s recommendations.
The World Health Organization in Europe said it would also convene its members to discuss how to handle the outbreak, warning that “limiting travel to contain the spread is prudent until we have better information.”
WHO’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said in a Twitter post that the organization “will discuss strategies for testing, reducing transmission and communicating risks.”
Worldwide, the death toll from the virus topped 1.7 million on Tuesday, according to an AFP tally, with the highest number of daily deaths reported in the US, Germany and Russia.
THE VACCINE CAN BE ADAPTED
Germany on Tuesday extended its ban on arrivals from the UK, as well as from South Africa, where a similar variant was found, until January 6.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said that “as long as possible”, Germany aims to prevent “potentially dangerous virus mutations from spreading in continental Europe.”
The border closures come as the European Union prepares to start rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Sunday, following similar vaccination campaigns in the UK and the US.
The BioNTech co-founder said Tuesday that his coronavirus vaccine is “very likely” to work against the mutated strain detected in Britain.
And if not, the vaccine could be adapted in six weeks, Ugur Sahin said, adding that tests with the variant are already underway.
In the US, the worst affected country in the world, 78-year-old President-elect Joe Biden received a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine live on television to boost Americans’ confidence in vaccines.
Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease specialist, received his COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday along with other senior officials and six healthcare workers at an event streamed live at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
UK FEARS OF SHORTNESS
In an increasingly isolated UK, one of the biggest concerns remains France’s decision to reduce freight traffic as part of a 48-hour blockade of the movement of people through the English Channel.
The British government said on Tuesday it was considering testing for truck drivers as part of talks with French authorities to allow the resumption of freight traffic.
While Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that supply chains were “strong and robust,” experts warn that Britain may face shortages of certain fresh foods during the Christmas period.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said that “the borders really have to work quite freely from tomorrow to make sure there will be no disruption.”
Until now, Washington has postponed the suspension of flights with the United Kingdom, but passengers flying from Britain to New York with British Airways or Delta will first have to test negative for the coronavirus, the governor of New York announced Monday. , Andrew Cuomo.
A US official who advised the country’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine program also stressed that more information was needed to establish the risk of the UK variant.
“There is no strong evidence that this virus is more transmissible, (but) there is clear evidence that there is more in the population,” said Moncef Slaoui, a vaccine scientist and former pharmaceutical executive.
Meanwhile, two cardinals close to Pope Francis contracted COVID-19, according to sources at the Vatican, where efforts were underway to trace their recent contacts.
The 84-year-old pope, known for his love of reaching out to the faithful, has been reluctant to wear a mask despite the pandemic that has hit Italy especially hard.
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