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The discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in Britain, as the country increased pandemic measures on Saturday, led to a massive suspension of flights to and from the UK from several European countries on Sunday, which Bulgaria joined. at night.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov with Health and Transport Ministers Kostadin Angelov and Rosen Zhelyazkov, it was decided to suspend flights to and from Great Britain from midnight on December 20. This will continue until January 31, 2021. Until then, the order previously issued by the Minister of Health will apply, according to which those arriving in Bulgaria from the Island and from Northern Ireland will be subject to a ten-day quarantine.
After initial briefing on a summit meeting at the Council of Europe on Sunday night to decide on the overall response of the European Union to the new threat, it was clear that it would be on Monday morning.
This comes after several European countries announced earlier in the day that they were suspending or considering stopping flights from the UK, following a statement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday that a new strain of coronavirus had been discovered in the southern England. It is 70 percent more contagious than before, but at the same time it appears to be less deadly and vaccines already developed are supposed to counteract it.
On Sunday, first the Netherlands and then Belgium announced that they were closing their airports to the British. Soon after, both Italy and Austria said they would introduce the same measure, but did not say when. They were joined by Germany, France, Austria and Ireland, with restrictions that vary over time. Dublin and Paris introduced the 48-hour midnight limit on Sunday. Berlin, Vienna and Rome have not indicated how long the ban will last
“France is seriously considering that option,” BFM said. According to him, in the next few hours an official announcement will be made that air and rail connections will be cut.
All of Europe could close its skies to the Island’s planes
A coordinated solution will be sought from the EU countries in this area. The summit of common measures is scheduled for 8:00 pm CET.
The emergence of the new strain was discussed Sunday afternoon in a telephone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EC President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel , reported DPA. The theme was to develop a common approach to the problem of the new strain of coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly and has prompted some Europeans to ban flights from the UK, sources close to the Elysee Palace said.
Macron has called a Defense Council meeting tonight.
“There are many questions about this mutation and whether it is no longer on the continent,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croix, announcing the measures against Great Britain. He clarified that the transportation restrictions will remain in effect for at least 24 hours, and expressed his hope that there will be more clarity on the issue by Tuesday.
Previously, the Netherlands banned flights from the UK until the end of the year, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new variant of the virus, which is up to 70 percent more contagious.
“A highly contagious mutation of the Covid-19 virus is spreading in the UK. It is said to spread faster and easier and is more difficult to detect,” the Dutch Ministry of Health said in a statement. Emphasizes that the National Institute of Public Health and Environment recommends “minimizing” any exposure to the new strain.
The introduction of restrictions on those arriving by water and land is currently being investigated.
Germany is also “seriously considering” suspending flights from the UK and the Republic of South Africa in relation to the new strain of coronavirus, AFP reported, citing a source at the Berlin Health Ministry.
Martin Irsch, director general of the Paris Hospital Administration, told RTL radio that “at present, the new coronavirus mutation has not been detected in France.”
“This morning I called all the laboratories monitoring the situation, none of them found a mutated virus in the samples taken,” said the expert.
The new strain is out of control
Meanwhile, British Health Minister Matt Hancock said the new strain of the new coronavirus was “out of control” and justified the return of austerity measures in London and part of England, which he said could continue until vaccination. massive, reported AFP.
Unfortunately, the new strain of the virus is out of control. We need to regain control and the only way to do that is to limit social contacts again, Hancock told Sky News.
On Saturday, the Conservative government of Boris Johnson announced that it was reintroducing quarantine in London, the south-east of England and part of its eastern part. This will force more than 16 million Britons to stay home and give up Christmas gatherings.
The mutated variant of the new coronavirus was identified in September and is already spreading around the world, said World Health Organization expert Maria van Kerkhove in an interview with the BBC.
New and new mutations
We are witnessing the constant emergence of new coronavirus mutations. It is important to study them, see how they spread and what the consequences are, he added.
The new version of Covid-19 has been registered in addition to the United Kingdom in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, the health expert said.
“We will communicate the latest information to member states and the public,” WHO promised on Twitter.
London on Saturday reviewed anti-coronavirus measures and toughened them up a lot due to the new strain of coronavirus found in Britain, which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says may be 70 percent more contagious than the previous strain.
At the same time, Johnson noted that British experts have so far found no evidence that this type of virus is more lethal.
As of Sunday, the maximum level of restrictive measures due to the spread of the new strain is back in effect in London and the south-east of England.
Johnson urged the British to prepare for a different Christmas, without the usual celebrations and gatherings.
It will be different for Easter, because of the vaccines
Things will be radically different until Easter, he said, referring to the ongoing campaign to mass vaccinate the population in Britain.
The British prime minister spoke at a press conference after a video conference with ministers on the epidemic.
Against this backdrop, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK on Saturday surpassed 2 million. The country ranks seventh in the world in this indicator, its deaths exceeded 67 thousand. She ranks second in Europe’s grim statistics after Italy, which reported 553 deaths in the past 24 hours on Saturday and a total of nearly 68,500.
At the same press conference, England’s Chief Health Inspector Chris Whitty said the new strain was spreading incredibly fast in London and the south-east of the UK, but more slowly in other areas. The chances of a person dying or going to the hospital after being infected with this type of coronavirus are about the same as with the previous version, Whitty said.
He stressed that this was not the worst time of the epidemic, as medical countermeasures had already been taken.
Britain’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Valance, said the vaccines appeared to develop immunity against the new strain. New restrictive measures are needed to control the situation of the spread of this coronavirus, he said.
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