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Germany to stop flights from Great Britain from midnight
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The mutation is clearly more contagious
A coronavirus mutation has been discovered in the UK that is apparently much more contagious. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is changing course and tightening the measures for Christmas.
Due to the new variant of the corona virus, air traffic from Britain to Germany will be largely stopped. After midnight, landings from flights from Great Britain are prohibited, the Federal Ministry of Transport ordered on Sunday.
METERWith flight bans and border closures, Europe is preparing for a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus discovered in Britain. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the mutated pathogen with EU leaders on Sunday. The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), and the President of the Council, Charles Michel, participated in the conversation, as announced by the Elysee Palace in Paris.
The federal government wants to restrict travel options with Great Britain and South Africa. First, it reported “Bild”. Air traffic from Britain should be banned from midnight until January 6. The German Press Agency advises that exceptions should apply to cargo flights, for example.
Furthermore, all passenger traffic to and from Britain should end by the beginning of the week, according to the “Bild”, including on sea and rail routes. Then the Eurotunnel would be sealed.
The Federal Police also warned on Twitter before traveling to Britain: “Air traffic may be suspended. The reason for this is a corona virus mutation! “A spokesman for the Federal Home Office wrote on Twitter that the federal police had already been instructed to” systematically monitor “travelers from Great Britain and South Africa.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria had already announced similar measures. The London government warned on Sunday that the new variant of the coronavirus was “out of control.” According to initial findings, the new virus mutation is “up to 70 percent more contagious” than the previously widespread form, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson put it. However, based on previous knowledge, it is not more deadly. There is also no evidence that the effectiveness of vaccines is affected by the new strain of the virus, Johnson said.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach called for air traffic to be restricted to Germany. Although it has not yet finally been clarified whether the faster spread of this variant of the virus is due to increased infectivity, Lauterbach told the Berlin “taz”.
He thinks it’s “likely to be more contagious.” Therefore, as a precautionary measure, entry to Germany should also be restricted. However, he does not believe that the new variant also influences the success of vaccination.
Virologist Alexander Kekulé de Halle called for the immediate stop of flights from Great Britain to Germany. Kekulé said “MDR Aktuell” with a flight ban there “may still be a chance” to prevent the spread. It is clear that the mutation is much more contagious.
WHO calls for stricter crown measures in Europe
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also called on its European member states to tighten their crown measures. “In Europe, where transmission is high and widespread, countries must intensify their control and prevention measures,” a WHO Europe spokeswoman said on Sunday.
Outside of the UK, eleven cases of the virus mutation, which is said to be significantly more contagious than the previous virus, have so far been reported: nine in Denmark and one each in the Netherlands and Australia.
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