Paphos People

Britain’s European neighbours began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar there. France said it would bar all people coming from the United Kingdom for 48 hours from Sunday night, including freight carriers, whether by road, air, sea or rail.

Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ordered a suspension of flights from Britain, while Ireland said it would impose restrictions on flights and ferries from its neighbour.

Belgium said it would close its borders to flights and trains – including the popular Eurostar service – coming from the United Kingdom.

“The Covid variant recently discovered in London is worrying and will need to be investigated by our scientists,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

“In the meantime we choose the path of maximum prudence.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that the new strain had led to spiralling infection numbers. His government tightened its COVID-19 restrictions for London and nearby areas, and also reversed plans to ease restrictions over the Christmas period.

The travel curbs also compound problems for the United Kingdom as it finally exits the European Union on December 31 after a transition period this year. London and Brussels have so far failed to reach a post-Brext trade deal, raising the prospect of chaos in goods traffic.
The German government said all flights from the United Kingdom would be suspended from midnight.

“It (the virus mutation) has not yet been identified in Germany,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD. “But of course we take the reports from Britain very seriously.”


Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the ban on incoming travel from Britain covers Eurostar services via the Channel Tunnel and will take effect for at least 24 hours from midnight on Sunday, broadcaster VRT said.

The Italian order blocked any flights departing from Britain and prohibited anyone who had transited through it in the last 14 days from entering Italy.

The Netherlands banned flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom from Sunday and the restrictions will remain in place until January 1, the Dutch government said.

Austria is also planning to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said, citing the health ministry. Sweden said it was preparing a decision to ban entry from the United Kingdom.

Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic also announced plans to bar flights from the United Kingdom.

At London’s St. Pancras International station, the terminal for Eurostar, thousands of travellers tried to secure places on trains.

“We got the last two tickets for today,” said a Frenchman named Leny. “We each respectively had tickets for Monday and Tuesday. But given the situation and what is happening we didn’t want to take any risk. And we were the last to be able to do so.”

The new variant in Britain has added a twist to a battle against the virus that many countries in Europe are waging.

The number of coronavirus cases in Britain surged by 35,928 on Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic, and it recorded 326 deaths, taking the official toll to more than 67,000.

In addition to the measures announced for England, the United Kingdom’s other nations, who control their own anti-coronavirus policies, tightened restrictions. Scotland has imposed a ban on travel to the rest of the United Kingdom.
[url]
https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/12/21/uk-n ... id-strain/[/url]

_________________
Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Not surprised flights from the uk are now being banned because of the new variant of this awful virus

This is what should have happened in China.... WHO should have stopped all flights in and out of China immediately ...they knew it was a Novel virus and that it was spreading human to human .....if they had stopped the Chinese New Year flights....then we all would not be in this terrible global situation that we are now in!

Stay safe all
Merry Christmas

IRONIC, On the news this morning, I saw a few French drivers giving off at the port officials about not be allowed to travel, the response from the official was, "you can ring your president Mr Macron and ask him why he stopped you from going home, don't blame us"

Brilliant

I think Macron has a lot to answer for as the news today is that when all countries were gambling on which vaccines to order,we all,including the EU made choices.However France insisted that the EU ordered an immense amount of the French vaccine to the detriment of orders for the Pfizer one but it has now transpired that there are problems with the French one which will not now be ready until October 2021!!

Cyprus was looking to buy the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine
But
Now is buying the Pfizer one.....freezers are already here in Cyprus to hold this vaccine

Well the EU procured the vaccine not Cyprus so each country gets a share of what the EU has procured. Obviously Cyprus has to pay but the insistence of France to procure the french vaccine has seriously impacted on vaccine procurement throughout the EU so no EU country will get what they want initially. Hopefully they have ordered some of the American one which has already been approved in the US.
Everyone is hopeful that the UK regulators will approve the Oxford one this year but then it will have to be approved again by the EU and all other country's. I think the Oxford one is the cheapest and so much easier to work with.

Astra Zeneca to be approved in the next week

Cheaper and easier to use
And made the old fashioned vaccine way

Fingers crossed mig mogs!! Stay safe over there!

You to
Merry Christmas

Yes, it is all good fun over here now.
All the usual greed and selfish panic buying and stockpiling for Armageddon !
Everybody to blame except themselves for spreading the virus.
Half the country doing the right thing and the other half doing their own thing.

Despite it all we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hopes for a better New Year. xxxxx