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As dozens of countries around the world closed their borders to UK travelers, Boris Johnson embarked on a frenzied diplomatic attempt to persuade France to reopen routes through the Canal for the transport of vital goods.
Flights were suspended and ferry services stopped in response to the discovery of a new virulent strain of Covid-19 in the UK, prompting queues of trucks stretching miles from the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone.
Sainsbury’s said supermarkets could soon run out of fresh produce like citrus fruits, salads, cauliflower and broccoli, though other holiday items have been in stock and shouldn’t be in short supply.
Chief Scientist Sir Patrick Vallance warned that stricter restrictions will be needed for the coronavirus as the mutant virus, which is believed to be 70% more infectious than the original strain, is spreading across the UK.
He warned that new self-isolation orders in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands for visitors arriving from Level 4 areas like London and Wales would not be enough to prevent the coronavirus variant from reaching them.
As cross-channel traffic remained stagnant in Dover, the prime minister said British and French officials were working “to unblock the flow of trade as quickly as possible.”
He said that Emmanuel Macron, the French president, had told him in a phone call that he was ready to resolve the situation in a few hours “if we can.”
But on Monday night there was no sign of the new EU health protocol that Macron’s transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari had suggested as a means of restarting the movement of trucks heading to the mainland.
A meeting of EU experts agreed on the importance of keeping border crossings open within the 27-nation bloc, but requested further guidance from the European Commission before making any decisions.
After peaking at around 500 in the hours after France imposed a 48-hour lockdown on UK vehicle movements late on Sunday, Transport Minister Grant Shapps said the number of trucks Queuing on the freeway outside of Dover had dropped to 174 on Monday. late.
Many of them were EU national drivers trying to return to their home countries, he said.
At a press conference in Downing Street, Johnson noted that only 20 per cent of UK food imports from the mainland came by truck, with the rest traveling in containers that were unaffected by the French decision.
The “vast majority” of food, medicine and other supplies, including shipments of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, “came and went as normal,” he said.
The prime minister said he was assuring fellow leaders that “the risk of transmission by a lone driver sitting alone in the cab is really very low” and hoped to move forward in resuming transport movements “as quickly as possible.”
The government is also considering plans to introduce mass testing of truck drivers in a bid to reopen ports, according to reports.
Ministers are drawing up plans to increase testing capacity in Kent in order to clear thousands of truck drivers to cross into France, the Telegraph said.
The Labor Party has also called for any available capabilities in the testing system to be used to help resolve the “chaos” at the border.
More than 40 countries around the world have imposed restrictions on travel from the UK. The Republic of Ireland has banned visits from the British mainland, while still allowing entry from Northern Ireland.
Italy, Spain, Sweden, Pakistan and Iran were among the countries that announced restrictions on arrivals from Britain, while Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, said he asked airlines flying into the state from the UK to do so. All passengers are tested for coronavirus. before getting on the plane.
Meanwhile, public health officials in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands issued orders for anyone coming from Wales or from Level 4 areas in the south-east of England to self-isolate for 10 days after arrival.
Jeanelle de Gruchy from Tameside said that anyone arriving from the worst affected areas must “act as if they have this new variant, even if they have no symptoms,” and no other visitors should be allowed into the home where they are staying. Not even at Christmas. Day.
But Sir Patrick said at the Downing Street press conference: “The new variant stretches across the country. It’s localized in some places, but we know there are cases everywhere, so it’s not like we can prevent this from reaching other places, there are already some. “
The chief science advisor warned that more restrictions were coming for some of the regions than Johnson’s order on Saturday to close nonessential stores in Level 4 areas and for residents to stay home.
Trucks queue up near Dover as France closes UK border
“The evidence for this virus is that it spreads easily, it is more transmissible,” said Sir Patrick. “It is absolutely necessary to make sure we have the correct level of restrictions in place.
“I think the number of the variant across the country is likely to increase. And I think that therefore the measures are likely to have to be increased in some places in due course, not reduced. “
Official figures registered 33,364 new positive cases and 215 more deaths on Monday, bringing the total number of victims of the pandemic to 67,616.
Some eight areas of the UK now have Covid-19 infection rates above 1,000 per 100,000 inhabitants. The list is headed by Merthyr Tydfil (1300), followed by Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent, Thurrock in Essex, Havering in East London, Epping Forest, Basildon and Medway in North Kent.
Johnson praised the news that 500,000 people in the UK have been vaccinated against Covid-19 as “a reason for hope and confidence.” But he resisted calls for vaccines to focus on level 4 areas in hopes of stopping the spread of the new variant. And he refrained from guaranteeing that schools will reopen as planned in January.
Labor Vice Leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “The government is telling the public that the second most contagious strain of Covid is already in all parts of the country and that more restrictions will be needed.
So why hasn’t Boris Johnson acted? We already know that the tier system does not control infections. “
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson is not telling the truth about the scale of the internal crisis caused by the new strain of Covid, he has not laid out his plans to support the vulnerable and businesses in this new stage of life. health crisis, and by not assuring you that you have control over all this.
“People will have seen the prime minister’s press conference and wonder if in a few days he will be forced to announce a national shutdown and admit that Dover has been thrown into chaos.”
The prime minister defended himself against the accusation of having promised too much and delivered less during the pandemic.
“It is very important to be as realistic as we can,” he said.
“I don’t think anyone would like to have seen this country go through a total blockade this past year. We have had to do everything possible to keep our economy moving. “
