Covid: Level 4 restrictions could be extended in the UK

Germany has extended its ban on passenger flights from the UK to ban the carriage of passengers by rail, bus and boat until January 6.

Health Minister Jens Spahn said the expanded measures had exceptions for the transport of cargo and mail, and for medical and humanitarian flights.

Meanwhile, the director of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute warned that the mutated strain of coronavirus found in the UK was highly likely to already exist in the country even though it had not yet appeared in the data.

Priti Patel has come as a surprise by stating that the government has been “consistently ahead of the curve” in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The interior secretary’s comment came days after the hasty cancellation of Christmas mixing rules in the southeast and during frantic negotiations with France to try to reopen Channel ports.

Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:

The scientist behind the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine has said he is confident his candidate will work against the new variant of coronavirus detected in the UK.

Professor Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, said the probability that the vaccine would continue to work was “relatively high,” but added that if it needed to be adjusted for the variant, the company could do so in about six weeks.

Our reporter, Samuel Lovett, has the full story below:

Travel bans to contain the spread of the mutant strain of the coronavirus are “prudent,” according to the European head of the World Health Organization.

Hans Kluge wrote on Twitter: “In response [to the new strain] WHO-Europe will convene member states to discuss strategies for testing, reducing transmission and communicating risks.

Limiting travel to contain the spread is prudent until we have better information. Supply chains for essential goods and essential travel should remain possible. “

Tighter lockdown restrictions will be needed to address the new variant of the coronavirus strain, said a member of the government’s Sage scientific advisory panel.

Epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds told BBC Radio 4 Today program: “The government has actually acted quite quickly.

“It now depends on how effective these measures are and how widespread the virus is.

“Unfortunately, it appears that the virus is probably already throughout the country, so I think unfortunately we may have to impose stricter restrictions across the country.”

The government is considering a plan to offer massive tests to truck drivers trapped in Kent in a bid to end the chaos caused by the closing of the border with France.

“The tests of some kind are part of the discussions that the transport secretary is having with his counterpart in France at the moment. Getting those tests up and running can happen very quickly, “said Home Secretary Priti Patel. BBC breakfast.

Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:

Home Secretary Priti Patel has said ministers want to keep schools open following suggestions that children could be more susceptible to infection from the mutated strain of the coronavirus.

Ms Patel told Sky News: “We want to keep the schools open, let me be clear about that, but we will take all appropriate measures to protect the children, the health of the children and also to protect the teachers and the rest of the community. the population. schools.

“But I want to emphasize the role that mass testing plays.”

She added: “Mass testing is working across the country as we know and obviously we have been talking about mass testing in schools and that is something that is being discussed right now throughout the government for January and when schools finally come back. “.

Truck drivers waiting to cross the English Channel were offered just one cereal bar each, according to a trade association.

Rod McKenzie, Managing Director of the Road Haulage Association, said BBC breakfast: “Clearly those drivers have spent a second night parked somewhere, possibly on a motorway, possibly elsewhere, trying to cross the English Channel, and many of them are European drivers trying to get home for Christmas, and their morale is very poor.

“Yesterday Kent County Council offered each of them a cereal bar, which is a pretty poor effort, I think in terms of keeping their morale and spirit.”

Interior Secretary Priti Patel has said the government is “working towards a resolution” as talks continue with France on reopening full trade and transportation through the Canal.

“We speak with our colleagues in France constantly on a variety of topics and that work has been underway for the past 24 hours and will continue today,” Ms Patel told Sky News.

“We are working towards a resolution, I think it is very important to put this in context.

“It is in both our interests, both countries, to make sure we have flow and of course there are European carriers right now who want to go home and, frankly, we are both interested in continuing with those discussions and negotiations and we will see what materializes today “.