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EU countries have been told to lift their UK travel bans to allow essential travel and minimize trade disruption.
Dozens of countries they have blocked people arriving from Great Britain about the fears about the new coronavirus variant that is said to be much more transmissible.
France has gone one step further stop truckers crossing the Canal, creating chaos on the approach to Dover.
Following the talks, the EU Commission said in a statement that it was “important to take rapid temporary precautionary measures” to limit the spread of COVID-19.
But he added: “Flight and train bans should be suspended given the need to guarantee essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions.”
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders added that “general travel bans should not prevent thousands of EU and UK citizens from returning to their homes” in the lead up to Christmas.
Germany was considering extending its ban to travelers arriving from the UK until January 6, with exceptions for German citizens or residents as of January 1, Reuters previously reported.
Independent bilateral negotiations are underway in an attempt to restart travel to France, given the large number of trucks piling up in Kent waiting to board trains and ferries to cross the Channel.
Sky News understands that a deal could be reached today and see rapid response lateral flow testing being performed on truck drivers with the help of the military.
The variation of the coronavirus that has wreaked havoc is known as VUI-202012/01. It was found predominantly in London and the south-east of England.
But it has also been discovered in all regions of England, Wales and Scotland, albeit in “very small quantities”.
Similar strains have been detected in Denmark and Australia, and other variants that appear very similar have been detected in South Africa, the Netherlands and other countries, said Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England.
Ireland to introduce stricter restrictions from Christmas Eve for fear that the new variant is spreading there, Prime Minister Micheal Martin announced on Tuesday.
“We still have no evidence that the new and most virulent strain of the virus is in our country, but the growth rate over the last week tells me that the safest and most responsible thing to do is to proceed with the assumption that it is already here,” he said. .
But the head of BioNTech, one of the companies behind the only coronavirus vaccine approved for use in the UK, previously said trust the jab to be effective against the new variant.
