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France has halted all travel from the UK, blocking trade between the key ports of Calais and Dover.
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The presence of a more infectious strain of the virus that causes Covid-19 is shutting down Europe, causing a wave of lockdowns and travel restrictions, sparking a logistics crisis in the UK, and hitting stock markets across the continent.
The UK government said on Saturday that a strain of coronavirus that is 70% more infectious is spreading in the UK, which on Sunday reported its biggest daily increase in infections with 35,928 cases.
Experts believe that this mutated version of the coronavirus, first detected in September, is no more deadly than the typical strain that causes Covid-19, and they say there is no evidence that it should affect the effectiveness of vaccines.
The variant found in the UK, which is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus, is believed to be linked to cases discovered in Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.
Plus:Global stocks tumble as stimulus deal competes with UK travel bans on Covid-19 strain
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the threat of the most infectious version of the virus on Saturday, when he canceled plans to ease social restrictions over the Christmas period.
The move meant that around 18 million people in south-east England were plunged into a new lockdown, and thousands fled London in the hours before the restrictions took effect.
Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, told the media on Sunday that everyone living in England’s new “level 4” areas, under lockdown, should behave as if they have the virus.
European countries followed suit in cracking down on the spread of the mutant virus, with new entry bans from the UK, and the European Union is preparing to announce a coordinated response on Monday after a meeting of its response committee to the crisis.
More than 30 countries, including India, Germany, Canada, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have now banned all arrivals from the UK.
After France closed its border for 48 hours from midnight on Sunday, the UK faces a logistics crisis in the busy run-up to Christmas, with the key trade route between the country and continental Europe cut off.
France stopped all travel from the UK, including inbound trade between the key ports of Calais and Dover and through the
Eurotunnel.
The Strait of Dover between England and France is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with up to 10,000 trucks crossing this Channel crossing every day.
Shortages of critical products imported from Europe, such as food and medicine, could occur if French drivers stop traveling to the UK because they cannot return.
There are now thousands of trucks on either side of the English Channel, as Paris is calling for a new strict testing regime before opening the lockdown on Wednesday morning.
A statement shared on Twitter by the French embassy in the United Kingdom, attributed to the French transport minister, said that “in the next few hours, at the European level, we are going to establish a solid health protocol to ensure that the movement from the United Kingdom can resume.”
Read also:Europe faces a “tough” six months. These 21 actions could weather the storm.
Sainsbury ‘
s, the UK’s third-largest grocery store, has warned that there could be “gaps” in supermarket shelves if the lockdown lasts longer than 48 hours.
“If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps in the coming days in lettuce, some salad greens, cauliflower, broccoli and citrus, all of which are imported from the mainland at this time of year,” the company said.
Stock markets across Europe have been hammered with pessimism over this latest development of Covid-10, with the pan-European
Stoxx 600
and london
FTSE 100
both fell close to 3%. France
CAC 40
and from Germany
DAX
both are down more than 3%.
Dow futures were heading lower about 500 points for a poor open, after closing at 30,179 on Friday.
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