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Transport chaos in the UK. The list of countries that close their borders to the Island is getting longer. London has declared the highest level of quarantine. Many people tried to leave Britain in a panic before the measures went into effect.
The closing of borders has also caused enormous chaos in Europe’s airports and roads. The most severe measures were imposed by France, which prohibited for 48 hours all movement of goods by road, air, water and rail.
THE NEW STRAIN: More contagious than before, but susceptible to vaccines (ABSTRACT)
“The problematic mutation of the virus, which is a much more aggressive form, justifies extreme measures and requires restrictions,” said Emmanuel Macron, president of France.
France’s actions have caused even more truck congestion at ports and terminals on both sides of the English Channel.
“I’m driving a truck to the UK and I can’t go home because of the stupid virus. I don’t know if it’s the virus or politics. I don’t understand why they close the borders, it’s stupid. It’s hard for me because I’m far away, the chances of getting home before Christmas are decreasing, ”said Stanislav Olbrich, a truck driver from Poland.
Hundreds of flights were canceled at London Heathrow Airport. “It is a historic moment. I was in London 7-8 years ago as a tourist, but now I am confused. When I arrived here on December 14, the situation was completely different. We are going through a difficult period,” said one of the passengers, Imran .
Several hundred people arriving from London to the German city of Hannover were detained for two hours on the plane before they were allowed to disembark, and then spent the night at the airport until the COIVD-19 test results were published. .
“It is extremely important for us to have a coordinated pan-European approach, so we immediately activate the European crisis response mechanism,” said Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister.
EU experts met to coordinate the common rules that each member state must apply to those arriving from the island. However, a decision on the restrictions is expected tomorrow morning. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called an emergency meeting of the Cobra group.
More than 30 countries around the world have banned flights to and from the UK.
WHO has discovered a new strain of coronavirus in more countries
Australia said today it had identified cases of a rapidly spreading new strain of coronavirus found in Britain, and the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong and India said they were temporarily suspending flights from the UK, Reuters reported.
Two people traveling from the UK to the Australian state of New South Wales were diagnosed with the new strain of the virus, which Britain says could be 70 percent more contagious. The two are in quarantine at a hotel and the reported sharp rise in infections from Sydney is unrelated, authorities said.
Due to the new strain, Britain’s European neighbors and some other countries, including Canada and Iran, have decided to close their borders to people coming from the UK.
Not much is known about the new strain, but experts say current vaccines should be effective against it.
Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea, said they were monitoring the new strain as they fight an increase in infections on their soil. Hong Kong has banned flights from the UK, saying that people coming from the UK before December 22 will need to be quarantined for three weeks instead of two.
India has announced that it will suspend flights from the UK until the end of the year and that all people arriving from the UK by then will be screened upon arrival at airports.
South Korea, which has imposed a 14-day quarantine on everyone entering its territory, said it was reviewing new measures for flights from the UK and would test people arriving from the UK twice before being released from quarantine.
The only continent without COVID-19
Meanwhile, Belgium also said it had detected a new strain of the COVID-19 virus. This was confirmed by the spokesman for the national anti-epidemic headquarters Yves van Latem, quoted by local media.
He said the new strain of the virus had been in circulation in Belgium since at least September. According to him, so far there is not enough data to confirm that the new strain is more contagious or more dangerous. Van Latem is convinced that the vaccines developed so far will be useful against the new variant of the virus.
We remind you that Belgium is among the countries that yesterday closed their borders to and from the United Kingdom. According to the Belgian authorities, several mutations in the COVID-19 virus have been found in the country, and this may be one of the explanations for the increase in the number of infected since the beginning of autumn.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Israel are also closing their borders due to the new strain of coronavirus.
Saudi Arabia closed its land and sea borders since yesterday and suspended passenger flights for a week, a decision that is subject to change, although foreign passenger planes already in Saudi territory will be allowed to take off, the Interior Ministry said.
Island health authorities: the new strain of coronavirus is spreading faster
The measures do not affect the movement of goods from countries where the new strain of COVID-19 has not appeared, the ministry added, cited by the official Saudi press agency.
Neighboring Kuwait is suspending all passenger flights and closing its land and sea borders from 11 p.m. today until January 1, the government’s public relations office said.
In Oman, the land, air and sea borders will be closed starting tomorrow for a week, state television reported.
Several countries have cut transport connections with the UK after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that a highly infected new strain of coronavirus posed a danger to his country.
Israel announced today that it will close its borders to foreigners, again as a measure to prevent the spread of the new strain. Only Israeli citizens and foreigners with a special status, such as diplomats, will be allowed to enter the new regime under a decision of the Israeli Coronavirus Operational Headquarters. They will be required to voluntarily isolate themselves at home, unless they come from the United Kingdom, South Africa or Denmark, because in that case they will have to do so in special quarantine hotels.
Starting at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, all Israeli citizens arriving from abroad will be subject to a 10-day, 14-day quarantine. The new regulations will initially apply for ten days, with the possibility of an extension.
A new mutation in COVID-19 is rampant in the UK
Meanwhile, hundreds of doctors took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest against poor working conditions and overtime. So-called medical assistants in Israel have to work 26 hours per shift. The period of special regulation, which allows this practice, was extended by three months, despite the discontent of those affected. Today’s protest marks the beginning of a strike by young doctors, who intend to work only on weekends until further notice. Pressure on hospitals, which are already experiencing difficulties due to the pandemic, is expected to increase.
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