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The British government “has contacted Paris at all levels” to get cargo traffic between Dover in England and Calais in France as soon as possible, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday. He also highlighted that more than half a million people were vaccinated with the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the United Kingdom.
The French authorities will not accept goods traffic from the United Kingdom from zero hours on Monday due to the rapid spread of a new version of the coronavirus that has appeared in England. Traffic to Britain has also largely stopped as a result of the short circuit, as the English railway terminal at Dover Harbor and the Channel Tunnel are down, MTI wrote.
The French measure applies to vehicles used by people (drivers, traveling staff, passengers) to cross France. The French authorities continue to allow the crossing of unmanned freight trains, containers and truck trailers without a tractor.
As a precedent to the French restriction, the British government has announced that studies show that the infectivity of a new variant of coronavirus spreading across the UK, especially in London and south-east England, could be up to 70% higher. than previously identified variants.
Since the announcement, 40 countries have announced that they will suspend the reception of flights from Great Britain until Monday night.
Johnson told a news conference Monday night in Downing Street that London understands partner countries’ concerns about the spread of a new version of the coronavirus in England.
However, referring to the French cargo blockade, he said there was a very low risk that a virus sitting alone in the cab of a truck would spread the virus.
The British prime minister said he had a “very good” telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, who assured him that he wanted to resolve the situation “in a few hours.”
Referring to the already booming wave of UK acquisitions, Johnson said the UK department store supplier network was “strong” and everyone could continue shopping as usual. The shortfall will affect only 20 per cent of cargo traffic from Britain to the mainland and from there to Britain.
Dover and Calais, opposite, are the two busiest international seaports in the world; During the peak Christmas loading period, an average of 10,000 trucks pass between the two ports each day.
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told a news conference in Downing Street on Monday night that by dawn there were still about five hundred trucks on the motorway to the port of Dover, but by night their number had dropped to 170 .
One of Britain’s largest supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, reported on Monday that the ingredients needed for a traditional British Christmas lunch are already in the UK.
A company spokesperson said, however, that if the border situation did not change, there could be “supply gaps” in the coming days, especially of fresh citrus and lettuce, which Britain imports entirely from the mainland at this time of year. .
Large supermarkets across the country have reported an increase in shopping, and on Monday there was a temporary shortage of certain foods in supermarkets.
Boris Johnson told a news conference Monday night that in the British vaccination campaign, which had started less than two weeks ago, half a million had received the first dose of the vaccine so far. He added that as a result of the vaccines, the world will be “quite different” at Easter as it is now.
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