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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair today a crisis meeting to supply the United Kingdom following the decision of several countries to suspend transport due to the new strain of coronavirus considered by London as “out of control”.
“The Prime Minister will hold a COBR (crisis) meeting on Monday to discuss the situation with regard to international travel and in particular the regular flow of goods to and from the UK,” a Downing Street spokesman said on Sunday evening. . .
“Other meetings will take place on Monday morning to ensure solid plans are implemented,” Agerpres was quoted as saying by him.
Like many other European countries, France, the immediate neighbor of the United Kingdom, decided this Sunday to suspend for 48 hours any trip from the British territory, after the appearance of this variant of coronavirus that would be 70% more contagious.
The decision comes after Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany or Ireland took similar measures, a manifestation of the concern that has gripped Europe.
Closing the Port of Dover at an unfavorable time for Brexit
Thus, the port of Dover (southeast), the main English port of the English Channel, announced the closure to traffic “until further notice.
According to the British Road Transport Association, around 10,000 heavy trucks pass through this port daily.
This closure comes at a completely inappropriate time, as English ports are experiencing heavy traffic, sometimes causing delays and blockages on the way to the port, with many companies preparing for the UK’s departure from the EU on December 31 at night.
Ten days ahead of schedule, post-Brexit trade negotiations in London and Brussels are not finalized, and in the event of failure, the introduction of tariffs and tariffs raises concerns about the country’s supply.
“We expect a significant disruption in the area,” Transport Minister Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter, adding that “emergency measures” are being worked on to minimize the impact.
The new strain of coronavirus has prompted tighter restrictions in London and south-east England
The new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has prompted the British government to urgently introduce containment measures on Sunday for 16 million people in London and the south-east of England, forced to forego Christmas visits.
“Unfortunately, the new strain is out of control. We need to regain control and the only way to do that is to restrict social contacts,” British Health Minister Matt Hancock told Sky News on Sunday.
“It will be difficult to keep it under control until a vaccine is implemented,” he said, adding that the restrictions could last at least “two months.”
The UK, one of the worst affected countries in Europe with more than 67,000 deaths and a record 36,000 cases on Sunday, informed the World Health Organization about the faster spread of new strains of coronavirus.
Publisher: GC
