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Hundreds of stranded truckers hoped to get the green light to leave Britain on Tuesday (local time) as the country found itself increasingly isolated and its trade suppressed, interrupted by neighbors fearful of a new strain of the coronavirus circulating in England.
More than 1,500 trucks snaked along a main road in south-east England near the country’s vital Channel ports or crowded into an unused airport on Day 2 of a test that began when dozens of nations banned flights from the UK and France banned their trucks from the initial 48 hours until Tuesday night.
The precautions were prompted by a new variant of the virus that is believed to be more contagious, although experts say it does not appear to be more deadly or resistant to vaccines.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Security officers monitor the entrance of the ferry, as the port of Dover remains closed, in Dover, the main ferry link between the south of England and France.
In an island nation that relies heavily on its trade ties to the mainland, travel restrictions have stoked fears of food shortages around Christmas time.
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Britain is already facing deep uncertainty about its final exit from the European Union in less than two weeks. The country has yet to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
For drivers, it has been a gloomy couple of days, with some complaining about the lack of restrooms and food.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Trucks waiting to leave Britain have set back miles.
“My family is waiting for me, my children, my daughter, my son, my wife,” said Greg Mazurek from Poland. “It was supposed to be a very fast trip, three to four days maximum. I spent 10 minutes in the UK at the gas station and 20 minutes unloading, and now I have to wait two days here in the port of Dover. “
The drivers remained hopeful that the test could be over in a few hours. Prospects appeared to improve on Tuesday when the EU’s executive arm recommended lifting the bans.
The European Commission said that people returning to their home countries should be able to do so as long as they test negative for the virus or are quarantined. He said that “cargo flows must continue uninterrupted.”
Kay Nietfeld / AP
Several European nations are battling major coronavirus outbreaks.
Discussions continued between Britain and France, and any solution is likely to focus on testing the virus drivers.
With about 10,000 trucks passing through Dover every day, representing roughly 20 percent of the nation’s merchandise trade, retailers are increasingly concerned.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, warned of possible shortages of fresh vegetables and fruit after Christmas if the borders do not “work quite freely” by Wednesday.
The problem, he explained, is that the empty trucks found in England cannot reach the continent to pick up deliveries for Britain.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the UK.
“They need to go back to places like Spain to pick up the next shipment of raspberries and strawberries, and they need to return within the next few days, otherwise we will see disruptions,” he said.
The virus is blamed for 1.7 million deaths worldwide, including some 68,000 in Britain, the second-highest death toll in Europe, behind 69,000 in Italy.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed strict lockdown measures on London and neighboring areas amid growing concern about the new strain, which according to early indications could be 70% more transmittable.
Johnson scrapped a planned relaxation of the rules around Christmas for millions of people and banned indoor home mixing. Only essential trips will be allowed.
Alberto Pezzali / AP
New, stricter Covid-19 restrictions have come into effect in London and parts of England.
Amid questions about whether the vaccines being rolled out now will work against the new strain, Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company behind the Pfizer-BioNTech injection, said he is confident that it will be effective, but they are needed. more studies. to be sure.
In Switzerland, meanwhile, authorities are trying to track down some 10,000 people who have flown in from Britain since December 14, and have ordered them to quarantine for 10 days. Switzerland was one of 40 countries to ban flights from Britain due to the new strain.
The quarantine order is likely to affect thousands of Britons who have already made their way to Swiss ski resorts. Unlike many of its neighbors, Switzerland has left most of its slopes open, attracting enthusiasts from all over Europe.
