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The UK government has stepped up its efforts to quickly clear the huge truck jam in Kent. The Defense Ministry announced in London on Friday that 300 soldiers were already on duty to test drivers for the corona virus as quickly as possible. Poland also sent helpers and corona tests to shorten waiting times for drivers. However, the resolution of the backlog should take days.
Thousands of truckers had been stranded in England since last Sunday after France completely closed its border due to a new, possibly even more contagious variant of the coronavirus. On Wednesday an agreement was reached between London and Paris. Therefore, truck drivers must undergo a rapid corona test before they are allowed to cross the English Channel by boat or the Eurotunnel, an important logistical task.
Thousands of trucks on the track and highway
As British Transport Minister Grant Shapps announced on Friday, 10,000 tests had been carried out in the afternoon. More than 4,500 trucks have already started the journey to the mainland, according to Shapps. More than 5,000 trucks remained stuck at the disused Manston Airfield and a cordoned off section of the M20 motorway on Friday. Many of the drivers complained of running out of food and water. There are also no bathrooms for many.
Poland sent an army medical team of 60 to Dover on Friday to help test Polish truckers. A first delegation of Polish doctors and nurses had already tested 1,260 truckers on Friday morning, Michal Dworczyk, head of the government chancellery, announced on Twitter. In addition, the country provided 15,000 corona tests.
Polish Army soldiers also distributed food. According to the Warsaw government, several thousand Polish drivers were stranded in England on Friday. “We are determined that all Polish truckers return home,” said Dworczyk. (apa, afp reu)
