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Oris Johnson will chair an urgent Cobra meeting on Monday after the closure of the France-UK border crippled Dover’s ferry traffic and rail services.
The Eurotunnel announced that it would suspend access to its Folkestone terminal on Sunday after the spread of a mutant strain of Covid-19 led several European countries to halt flights from the UK.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister will chair a COBR meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation regarding international travel, in particular the constant flow of cargo to and from the UK.
“More meetings will be held tonight and tomorrow morning to ensure strong plans are in place.”
The French prime minister’s office said the travel ban would last 48 hours starting at midnight on Sunday.
The statement said the short two-day period would give authorities time to find a “common doctrine” on how to deal with the threat. It specified that “the flows of people or transport to the United Kingdom are not affected”.
Passenger queue for check-in at Gatwick Airport in West Sussex
/ Pennsylvania )Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps called on the public and carriers to avoid traveling to Kent ports.
He said on Twitter: “Following the French government’s announcement that it will not accept passengers arriving from the UK for the next 48 hours, we ask the public and in particular carriers not to travel to Kent ports or other routes to France.
“We expect a significant disruption in the area.”
Following the news of France’s travel restrictions, the Eurotunnel announced on Twitter that it would suspend its Folkestone terminal from 11pm tonight.
URGENT: The border between the UK and France closes at 23:00 GMT tonight. The last transfer service from the UK to France is at 21:34 GMT. Register on time. Access to the UK site is prohibited from 22:00 GMT, ”said a statement on the Eurotunnel Twitter account.
He added: “For any passenger heading to the UK: it is essential that you check the UK travel and accommodation rules before traveling.
“Please note that currently the border between the UK and France is closed.”
Moments after the Eurotunnel announcement, the Port of Dover said its ferry terminal was closing to all accompanied traffic leaving the UK due to border restrictions in France.
He added on his website: “Both cargo customers and accompanied passengers are requested not to travel to the port. We understand that the restrictions will be in effect for 48 hours starting at midnight (CET). We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide an update as soon as possible.
“Thank you for your patience. For information on ferry shipping, please contact your ferry operator.
“The Port of Dover Cargo Terminal, the Marina and other areas of the Port remain open.”
Logistics UK, formerly the Freight Transport Association, said it was “concerned for the welfare of drivers.”
He tweeted: “Logistics UK is aware of the news that escorted freight will not be allowed to France for 48 hours; We are concerned about the welfare of drivers and are urgently seeking more information for our members. “
Rod McKenzie of the Road Transport Association told Sky News that 10,000 trucks a day crossed between Dover and Calais in France.
He added: “The Brexit stockpile is one thing, the Christmas fever is something else, but the absolute blow now is to close the borders for 48 hours.
“That is a serious disruption to the entire important supply chain.”
Meanwhile, the Conservative MP from Kent, Sir Roger Gale, urged No. 10 to “control” the developing situation with the border between Britain and France.
High-speed train operator Eurostar canceled its trains between London, Brussels and Amsterdam from Monday and said it would not be able to operate trains from Paris to London from December 21-22.
Traffic flows over Dartford Bridge crossing into Kent, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson canceled Christmas for 18 million people
/ Pennsylvania )A notice on the Eurostar website read: “Due to announcements by the French and Belgian governments that the borders with the UK will be closed at midnight on Sunday 20 December, we are unable to operate any trains from London to Paris, Brussels, Lille or Amsterdam on either Monday, December 21, or Tuesday, December 22.
“We are also unable to operate trains from Amsterdam, Brussels and Lille to London on these dates. We can confirm that our trains will continue to operate from Paris to London. The plan is to resume all of our train services to and from the UK on Wednesday 23 December.
“As our trains and stations are very busy, we recommend that you do not come to the station unless you have a ticket and your train is running. Please note that we cannot sell you a ticket at the station.
“We advise all passengers to periodically check the latest official information from the government of their country of origin and destination before departure. Special measures or quarantine rules may change on short notice, so visit government websites or the ‘Travel to’ sections here. “
