The ban on passenger travel from Britain is likely to be extended

The government is likely to extend beyond Tuesday an unprecedented 48-hour ban on passenger travel from Britain, as fears grow about the spread of a more infectious strain of Covid-19.

Member states of the European Union will hold a crisis meeting on Monday to coordinate their response to the new variant, which is 70% more transmissible than other strains. The meeting was called after Ireland and other European countries imposed heavy restrictions on travel from Britain with the aim of stopping the spread of the variant.

The ban, which came into effect at midnight, caused travel chaos in Britain and disrupted the travel plans of large numbers of Irish emigrants hoping to return for Christmas.

And since France also bans all road travel from Britain, including the carriage of essential cargo, importers warned that the restrictions could affect the supply of essential goods to Ireland from continental Europe.

‘Perfect storm’

Aidan Flynn, general manager of the Freight Forwarding Association, spoke of a “perfect storm” with Covid-19, pre-Brexit warehousing and Christmas supplies dropping at the same time.

Warning of the “dire consequences” for the transportation of supplies to the state from continental Europe via Britain, he said Irish truckers would be stranded on both sides of the English Channel now that the key transit route of the “land bridge “from the UK to and from continental Europe had been” compromised. “

The government imposed the ban for 48 hours as an interim measure pending consideration in Cabinet on Tuesday, when proposals to tighten internal Covid-19 restrictions will also be considered.

The most infectious strain, which has spread rapidly in London and the south-east of England since it appeared last September, has not been identified here to date.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said it was not known whether the recent sharp increase in cases in Ireland had any link to the virus mutation.

“I think, realistically, it’s hard to see that things are going to change in the coming days. . . There is not a high probability that we will return to a flight schedule right away. “

Ferries will continue to operate for transport and flights will be arranged to repatriate Irish stranded abroad. Regarding travel between the Republic and Northern Ireland, Ryan said there were no immediate consequences for border crossings.

Northern ministers held an evening meeting to discuss concerns about the new strain.

Strategy

In the meantime, the government may need to rethink the strategy of living with Covid-19 if the variant spreads here, according to an infectious disease consultant. Professor Paddy Mallon said that continuous cycles of restrictions and relaxation of measures may not work if the virus spreads more quickly.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the UK analysis suggested the variant is “significantly more transmissible” than other variants and could increase reproductive numbers by 0.4.

However, “there is no indication at this time of an increased severity of the infection associated with the new variant.”

ECDC called for “timely efforts” to prevent and control the spread, including “avoidance of non-essential travel and social activities.”

Meanwhile, the Republic reported the highest number of daily cases in almost eight weeks on Sunday, with 764. There were four deaths.

All indicators of Covid-19 spread are worsening, faster than public health officials expected, warned Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan. As a result, officials fear an increase in cases among the vulnerable 65 and older during the Christmas period.

In the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted that the virus was out of control.