December 21, 2020
SOURCE: BBC – EU officials are discussing a joint response to a new, more infectious Covid-19 variant in the UK, which has sparked travel bans by many countries.
Canada and India joined European states in blocking flights from the UK while Europe-bound train services via the Channel Tunnel have been halted.
The new variant is said to be up to 70% more transmissible but there is no evidence that it is more deadly.
There is also no proof to suggest that it reacts differently to vaccines.
French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said a protocol would be agreed within hours at the European Council meeting of government representatives to “ensure that movement from the UK can resume”.
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image captionNumerous countries have introduced travel bans amid concerns over the new coronavirus variant
EU officials are discussing a joint response to a new, more infectious Covid-19 variant in the UK, which has sparked travel bans by many countries.
Canada and India joined European states in blocking flights from the UK while Europe-bound train services via the Channel Tunnel have been halted.
The new variant is said to be up to 70% more transmissible, but there is no evidence that it is more deadly.
There is also no proof to suggest that it reacts differently to vaccines.
Two meetings are taking place in Brussels on Monday - one involving health ministers and another with the EU s crisis response team. But no decision is expected until Tuesday, when EU ambassadors meet.
New Covid strain: Air India yet to decide on UK flights
Web Report/Dubai
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Canada is the latest country to halt flights from the UK
An Air India official has confirmed that no decision has been made as yet regarding the flights to UK in view of the latest outbreak of Covid-19 cases in UK.
Canada is the latest country to halt flights from the UK following the discovery of the new strain of Covid-19. France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey and Israel have already suspended flights from the country.
Top advisers from India’s health ministry, including experts from AIIMS and ICMR, are meeting today to take stock of the new developments in the UK.
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London could be under lockdown for months
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that London could be under a lockdown for months, as it will be very difficult to keep a highly infectious mutant strain of the novel coronavirus under control until vaccinations are rolled out.
His remarks on Sunday came just hours after the new Tier Four restrictions came into force in the British capital and parts of southeast England, reports Xinhua news agency.
The new tighter restrictions will be reviewed on December 30.
Hancock however indicated that it was unlikely they would be relaxed at that point.