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8 pm 45 min. At a remote government meeting, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and ministers decided to ban flights from Britain, where a new, rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus is rampant, to Lithuania.
VIDEO: Government meeting on 20-2020
The prime minister told a meeting on Sunday that the three Baltic countries had unanimously decided to suspend all passenger flights from the UK.
“We have a pretty tough situation with the coronavirus. We know that the number of cases is increasing, the burden on the hospital system is increasing dramatically and, in fact, the development of these services already means a decrease in the availability of services for other patients, other services. We must do everything possible to protect both our healthcare system and the people who work there, ”said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
Arno Strumila / 15-minute photo / Ingrida Šimonytė
No-show – from 4 pm in the morning
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Marius Skuodis, told the meeting that the time elapsed since the suspension of flights was chosen in such a way that there was no need to capsize planes in the air. The ban will go into effect on December 21. 04:00 and will last until December 31. 24 hours
“This is a decision based on the decisions our neighbors have made or are making, or those who are in transit,” he said.
M. Skuodis also confirmed that flights to the UK will not be banned.
“If necessary, though not recommended, you can definitely go. This (sure – 15 minutes) it affects passenger flights from the UK to Lithuania from all airports, ”the minister explained.
M.Skuodis explained that he understood that the decision was difficult and would affect many countries, but noted that many Lithuania were making it.
“The safest option right now, after all the circumstances, is to stay where the people are. In this case, if in the United Kingdom, it is really not to travel to Lithuania, because even when looking for other alternatives, alternative flights, taking into account the decisions that other member states of the European Union are currently taking or are taking, they can really cause serious problems. It’s safer to stay where the people are at the moment, ”he said.
Arno Strumila / 15min photo / Ministerial meeting in the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
The Minister for Transport and Communications drew attention to the fact that planes will not be able to take off from the UK to Lithuania on Monday morning.
“You need to communicate with your airlines. When it comes to flights from Lithuania to the UK, there can also be various interruptions if the plane that was supposed to arrive does not arrive and of course you cannot leave. People who plan to travel so early as tomorrow morning they may face challenges. But this will be decided by the airports together with the airlines, “said the minister at the meeting.
Three more planes will fly from London, which will take effect in London until 4 o’clock: Ryanair, LOT and Wizz Air Airlines. Tomorrow, at 4 am, 5 planes from the UK had to fly to Lithuania, but these flights will have to be canceled.
There is no unanimous recommendation
According to Health Minister Arūnas Dulkis, many countries have restricted contact with the country as a new mutation in the coronavirus has been identified in the UK, possibly linked to a faster spread of the virus.
“So far, there is no information that definitively confirms that this strain of the virus is more susceptible to infection or more difficult to contract.” So far, there are no unified recommendations from international organizations, including the World Health Organization, for countries to take action in this regard. However, the parties make decisions quickly and make their own decisions, “he said at the hearing.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15min photo / Arūnas Dulkys
According to the Ministry of the Interior, from December 14 at 1 p.m. until this Sunday at 1pm. 3,485 passengers arrived in Lithuania from Great Britain: 2,139 people arrived at Vilnius airport, 1,346 arrived at Kaunas airport.
The transport minister told the media early Sunday that the decision could affect some 7,000 people. passengers.
Baltic ministers call for a German response
The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia called on the German presidency of the European Union (EU) to coordinate and make joint decisions on the situation with the United Kingdom, where a potentially mutated strain of coronavirus has been identified.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu propose to initiate a unified EU position on flights from the UK, the possible closing and opening of borders.
“Unfortunately, tonight’s decisions are very complex and difficult, affecting many people. But we have no choice: nothing is more important and more expensive than human health and life. The new strain of the virus is spreading rapidly and in Lithuania we already have the most difficult crisis of the health system. During the first wave of spring, the EU members made their own decisions, which generated great chaos and uncertainty. We seek clarity for our citizens, united action and We ask everyone to be vigilant: only by staying home can we hope to control the situation, “said Minister G. Landsbergis.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15 minute photo / Gabrielius Landsbergis
Many EU countries are closing from the UK
At a meeting of the Government Emergency Commission (WESC) convened on Sunday, it was decided to propose the suspension of passenger flights from Great Britain to Lithuania.
With the spread of a new strain of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy have already banned flights from that country. Latvia and Estonia also plan to act, and Poland plans to make a decision on Monday.
“At the commission meeting, the decision was made to suspend all passenger flights to Lithuania and submit such a proposal to the government,” Minister A.Bilotaitė told the media on Sunday evening.
BNS announced that several European countries announced this Sunday the ban on air travel with the United Kingdom (UK). Germany, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Romania, the Netherlands and Belgium have stated that they intend to ban flights from the UK..
Rome and Berlin announced Sunday that they would stop flights to and from Britain from midnight.
A virus mutation has been detected
Office of Charles Michel, President of the European Council (EC) kicked off a meeting on Sunday about the situation in the UK with the spread of a new, more contagious strain of coronavirus.
Susan Hopkins of Public Health England (PHE) Sky News confirmed information provided by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the new virus strain may be 70 percent. more contagious.
Johnson announced on Saturday that residents of London and the south-east of England would not be able to leave their homes without the necessary need to curb the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.
He called for new restrictions to be imposed in London and south-east England from Sunday, with “fourth level rules” in place in the region, “whose people must stay home” until at least December 30.
The SNB reported a record rate of coronavirus infection in the UK, with 35.9,000 confirmed cases in the last day. new cases of COVID-19, according to a report on the British government information website.
Just over 27,000 were found on Saturday. new cases of this infection, and the previous daily record of diseases was recorded on December 17 – 35.3 thousand. new cases.
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