LONDON: Prime Minister Boris Johnson would chair a crisis meeting on Monday, as a growing number of countries blocked flights from Britain over a highly infectious new strain of coronavirus that the UK said was “out of control”.
The World Health Organization also called for stronger containment measures across Europe, which has surpassed 500,000 deaths from Covid-19.
But there was positive news on the other side of the Atlantic, where US lawmakers struck a deal for a nearly $ 900 billion Covid-19 financial package to help struggling Americans.
In London, Johnson called the COBR emergency committee meeting to “discuss the situation regarding international travel, particularly the constant flow of cargo to and from the UK, “said a spokesman.
More than a dozen European nations have already banned flights and travelers from Britain, and more are expected to take action.
Health authorities in former British colonial territory Hong Kong said flights from the UK will be banned from Tuesday.
France, a crucial transit country, moved to block people and goods crossing the English Channel, while the Netherlands said passengers arriving by ferry will be denied entry.
The ban on all cargo cruises to France, except unaccompanied ones, comes at a time when companies are struggling to move merchandise with days to go for Britain to finally abandon European Union trade structures after Brexit.
On Sunday night, Britain’s critical south coast port of Dover said it was closing for all accompanied passengers and cargo due to the Restrictions on the French border “until new notice”.
Alarm bells sounded across Europe as the new, even more infectious strain of the virus appeared to be sweeping parts of Britain.
A WHO spokeswoman told AFP that “across Europe, where transmission is intense and widespread, countries must redouble their control and prevention approaches.”
A German government source said restrictions on air travel from Britain could be adopted by the entire 27-member EU and that the countries were also discussing a joint response on sea, road and rail links.
French president Emmanuel macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkeland EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel held a conference call Sunday on the matter, Macron’s office said.
Later Sunday, flight bans were imposed from Great Britain in the Americas, including Canada, Chile and Argentina.
US officials, however, noted they were halting the move for now, while Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was confident the existing 14-day quarantine rules for arrivals were sufficient to handle the threat.
Despite growing concerns about the new strain, EU experts believe it will not affect the effectiveness of existing vaccines, said German health minister Jens Spahn.
The assessment was shared by Britain’s chief medical officer. Chris whitty.
Johnson said the infectiousness of the new strain had forced him to block much of England during the Christmas period.
“Unfortunately, the new strain was out of control. We have to get it under control,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News.
Scientists first discovered the new variant, which they believe is 70 percent more transmissible, in a patient in September. Public Health England notified the government on Friday when the modeling revealed all its seriousness.
The new coronavirus has killed more than 1.68 million people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a count from official sources compiled by AFP.
And with the onset of colder winter weather in the northern hemisphere, when respiratory diseases flourish, countries are preparing for new waves of Covid-19 with tighter restrictions, despite the economic damage such lockdowns caused earlier this year. year.
The Netherlands is under a five-week lockdown until mid-January with schools and all non-essential stores closed.
Italy also announced a new regime of restrictions until January 6 that included limits on people leaving their homes more than once a day, closures of nonessential shops, bars and restaurants, and restrictions on regional travel.
In South Korea, authorities in the capital and surrounding regions banned most gatherings of more than five people after an increase in infections left just four empty beds in intensive care units in Seoul.
In the US, the $ 900 billion package agreed on Sunday is expected to include aid for vaccine distribution and logistics, additional unemployment benefits of $ 300 per week, and a new round of $ 600 stimulus checks. .
Congress is expected to pass the measure soon, as the country faces the highest death toll from the virus in the world.
Around the world, the rapid deployment of vaccines is now seen as the only effective way to end the crisis.
Europe is expected to launch a mass vaccination campaign after Christmas, following the United States and Great Britain, which have started to hit the ground running with a vaccine approved by Pfizer-BioNTech, one of several leading candidates.
A US panel of experts recommended Sunday that people 75 and older should be the next vaccinations against the virus, along with 30 million “essential front-line workers,” including teachers, grocery clerks and police officers. .
Initial doses have targeted front-line healthcare workers and the elderly in nursing homes.
Russia and China have also started giving injections with their own domestically produced vaccines.
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