The EU can quarantine Britain

Of: TT

Published: December 20, 2020 at 10:02 p.m.

Several countries are stopping flights to and from the UK, where a more contagious mutation of the virus is spreading.

EU ambassadors are expected to hold a crisis meeting Monday morning to discuss what should be done.

A large number of European countries have interrupted air and train travel to and from the UK on short notice. Sweden is also preparing a decision on the entry ban from the UK.

And, for example, France is stopping all passenger traffic, as well as all freight transport by human hands. Ireland will also suspend all UK air services from midnight and for at least two days thereafter.

Representatives from the 27 EU member states also held an additional video meeting on Sunday evening, where they are said to have exchanged information on the measures to be taken in the next few hours.

The meeting between the EU ambassadors is said to take place at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Various Danish cases

The European Union infection control authority ECDC stated on Sunday that “an ongoing spread of this variant outside the UK cannot be ruled out.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on all its member states in Europe to expand their action.

In Denmark, at least nine cases have been found in which people carry this variant of the virus, according to the Ritzau news agency.

At least one case has been detected in a case study in the Netherlands, as well as at least one in Belgium and one in Italy. At least one case has also been detected in Australia, according to the WHO.

Earlier this week, the South African government announced that a variant of the coronavirus had also started to spread there. It is not clear if it is the same variant as in the UK or another, but Germany has also chosen to stop flights there.

Norway, an EEA country, has also introduced temporary quarantine rules for people traveling there from the UK. Israel has stopped flights to both Britain and Denmark.

Turkey also stops flights from the UK, Denmark and South Africa, as well as from the Netherlands.

There are still no confirmed cases of the new mutation in Sweden.

“Deadly seriousness”

The new variant of the virus is said to spread 70 percent faster than other variants. The situation is beyond the control of British authorities, according to Health Minister Matt Hancock, who describes it as “deadly serious”.

– It will be very difficult to control it before the vaccine is deployed. That is the situation we will face in the coming months, Hancock told Sky News.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government had promised to give the population a break during Christmas, with a few days of “Christmas bubble” when fewer rules would apply. It is being almost completely phased out, and strict infection control measures are getting even tighter.

The three-step scale introduced for grade infection control measures has received a new fourth step with strict rules applying in London and parts of south-east England. People are expected to stay in their own homes as much as possible and not meet other people. Everyone should behave as if they have the virus, according to the Health Minister.

In some less affected parts of the country, a small “bubble” will be allowed on Christmas Day. Only in Northern Ireland will the rules be relaxed over the Christmas weekend as previously thought.

Before the end of this weekend, around half a million Britons must have been vaccinated, according to the objective of the authorities.

Common mutation

The virus mutation, which is spreading in the UK, was first discovered in September. There is no evidence that it causes more severe disease than other variants, and it is normal for viruses to mutate into a variety of variants over time.

However, British authorities find that the variant is spreading much faster today and the WHO also sees preliminary signs of this. It can also be harder to detect on tests.

The vaccines that are available appear to work just as well against the mutation as against the above variants, based on the findings that exist so far.

Published: December 20, 2020 at 10:02 p.m.