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Italy has found a patient with the new strain of coronavirus, which was also found, in Britain, the Health Ministry announced on Sunday.
Several European countries and others, such as Kuwait, have banned flights to and from the UK, hoping to prevent the new strain spreading through southern England from establishing itself on the continent.
The new strain of coronavirus is “out of control,” British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC.
Globally, the number of coronavirus infections exceeds 76 million, with almost 1.7 million deaths recorded. More than 43 million have recovered.
Here are all the latest updates:
Sydney suburbs locked up after COVID outbreak
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) authorities have subjected approximately a quarter of a million people in Sydney’s North Beach suburbs to a strict lockdown and restricted gatherings throughout the rest of the city in an attempt to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak.
NSW, which incorporates Sydney, recorded 30 new cases of COVID-19, bringing a cluster that emerged in Sydney’s North Beach area to 70, with some cases still under investigation.
Read more here.
Chile says vaccines could start next week
Doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc could begin rolling out in Chile next week, and the first round of injections will go to health workers, President Sebastián Piñera said.
The Chilean health regulator reported Wednesday that it had approved the emergency use of the vaccine. That same day Piñera said that the laboratory had confirmed that it would send the first 20,000 doses before the end of the month.
Turkey suspends some flights due to coronavirus mutation
Turkey temporarily suspended flights from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and South Africa over the new strain of coronavirus, the health minister said.
“With the instruction of our president and with the coordination of our Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a temporary suspension has been decided for flights from England, Denmark, Holland and South Africa to our country,” announced Fahrettin Koca on Twitter.
The transmission rate has been reported to have increased in the UK with the coronavirus mutation. With the instruction of our President and with the coordination of our Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a temporary suspension of flights from England, Denmark, Holland and South Africa to our country has been decided.
– Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@Fahrettinkoca) December 20, 2020
Iran suspends flights to UK over coronavirus concerns
Iran has suspended flights to Britain for two weeks due to the new strain of coronavirus, state news agency IRNA reported.
“Due to new circumstances in the spread of COVID-19 in the UK, flights between Tehran and UK destinations will be suspended for two weeks,” Shahram Adamnejad, Deputy Minister for Transport, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Iran is one of the nations most affected by the coronavirus in the Middle East [File: West Asia News Agency/Reuters]
Quebec opposition party calls on Trudeau of Canada to stop UK flights
An opposition party in Canada is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend all flights and passengers seeking to enter the country from the UK.
Bloc Quebecois party leader Yves-Francois Blanchet expressed solidarity with people in the UK in a statement on Sunday, but said the move is “preventive and necessary” to prevent any possible spread of the new variant of COVID. -19.
“Precaution is in the best interests of the people in Quebec and Canada, Blanchet said.
“If a variant of COVID-19 were to spread more quickly among vulnerable people, the effects could be deplorable for people’s health, as well as for the health system and workers who are already under tremendous pressure.”
Patient from Italy infected with a new strain: Ministry of Health
The Italian Health Ministry announced that it has found a patient with the new coronavirus strain, which was also found, in Britain.
The patient and his partner returned from the UK in recent days with a flight that landed at Rome’s Fiumicino airport and are now in isolation, the ministry said.
Britain’s European neighbors began closing their doors to travelers from the UK on Sunday amid alarm over the rapid spread of the coronavirus strain that has caused cases to skyrocket there.
Effective vaccines against a new strain of virus: German health minister
European Union experts believe existing coronavirus vaccines are effective against the rapidly spreading new strain identified in Britain, Germany’s health minister said.
“Based on all we know so far,” the new strain “has no impact on vaccines,” which remain “just as effective,” Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ZDF, citing “conversations between experts from the European authorities “.
France will stop all travel from the UK for 48 hours starting at midnight
France will stop all travel from Britain for 48 hours starting at midnight Sunday, including travel “related to the transport of goods by road, air, sea or rail,” the prime minister’s office said, after it appeared. a new, rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus in the UK.
As companies scramble to move goods across the English Channel with days left for Britain to finally abandon the EU trade structures, “only unaccompanied freight will be allowed.
Flows of people or goods to the UK will not be affected, ”the government added after a meeting chaired by President Emmanuel Macron.
France’s decision follows a series of similar measures taken by other European countries on Sunday morning. [File: Christian Hartmann
Kuwait halts UK flights
Kuwait’s civil aviation authorities have banned flights from the UK, where a new variant of the coronavirus is spreading, state-run Kuna news agency reports.
“Upon instructions from health authorities, the United Kingdom has been added to a high-risk list of countries from which flights to Kuwait are banned,” the Gulf state’s Directorate of Civil Aviation said on Twitter.
We’re in close contact with UK 🇬🇧 officials on the new #COVID19 virus variant. They’ll continue to share info & results of their analysis & ongoing studies. We’ll update Member States & public as we learn more about the characteristics of this virus variant & any implications.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 19, 2020
Denmark to dig up millions of minks from mass graves
Millions of minks will be dug up from mass graves in Denmark after some had resurfaced, prompting complaints from residents about possible health risks, the country’s government said.
Denmark’s entire herd of some 17 million minks destined for the high-end fashion industry was ordered to be culled in early November after hundreds of farms suffered outbreaks of coronavirus and authorities found mutated strains of the virus among people.
Minks are seen at Hans Henrik Jeppesen’s farm near Soroe, Denmark [File: Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen/Reuters]
Several EU nations stop flights to the UK for fear of a variant of the virus
A growing list of European Union countries have announced a ban on flights from the UK, while others were considering similar actions, in a bid to block a new strain of coronavirus spreading across southern England.
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Italy announced restrictions on travel to the UK, hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England should be canceled due to the rapid spread of infections attributed to the new variant of the coronavirus.
Johnson immediately put those regions into a strict new Level 4 restriction level, changing the Christmas plans of millions.
Read the full story here.
Hello this is Usaid Siddiqui in Toronto, Canada, with the latest coronavirus updates.
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