Several European countries have decided to suspend air and rail links with the UK in connection with the threat of the spread of a new type of coronavirus.

So, since December 20, the Netherlands stopped accepting flights from the United Kingdom.

As explained in the government, the corresponding recommendation was issued by the National Institute of Health of the country.

The ban will be in effect until January 1, 2021 at the most.

The decision to suspend flights with the British side was also made by Belgium - it will last at least 24 hours.

This was announced by the Prime Minister of the country, Alexander De Kroo, his statement is quoted by the TV channel VRT.

Those arriving from the UK by train will also not be allowed into the country. 

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced the intention to suspend the reception of flights from the United Kingdom.

In his Facebook, he clarified that the Italian authorities have warned the British government and intend to sign a corresponding decree in the near future.

  • Netherlands suspends flights to Great Britain due to new coronavirus strain

At the same time, the BFMTV channel reported that French President Emmanuel Macron held a series of telephone conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel, during which he called for a coordinated decision of the EU countries to suspend air and connections with the UK.

Later, the head of the Ministry of Health of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jens Spahn, confirmed that Germany was suspending flights with Great Britain from midnight on December 21.

️France announced the suspension of flights from the country for 48 hours. 

Also starting Monday in Greece, there will be a weekly quarantine for all arrivals from the United Kingdom.

Austria decided to introduce a ban on the arrival of passenger aircraft from the UK.

This was reported by the Austrian Press Agency with reference to the country's Foreign Ministry.

The same decision was made by the authorities of Bulgaria, Ireland, Estonia, Turkey and Switzerland.

The Swedish government is considering similar measures, SVT reports.

The Russian operational headquarters for monitoring the spread of coronavirus reported that they are monitoring the situation with a new type of COVID-19 in Britain.

The headquarters clarified that decisions on the possible limitation of air traffic between the countries have not yet been made.

We will remind, earlier the head of the British Ministry of Health Matt Hancock said that local scientists have identified a new type of coronavirus, which could cause a sharp increase in the spread of the disease in some regions of the country.

“We have discovered a new type of coronavirus that may be associated with a higher rate of infection in the south-east of England.

Initial analysis showed that this species is spreading faster than those already known.

At the moment (the statement was made on December 14. -

RT)

we have detected more than 1000 cases of infection with this type of virus - mainly in the south of England, although similar cases have already been identified in almost 60 different areas of responsibility of local authorities, and the number of infected is growing rapidly, ”he said. minister.

  • Reuters

  • © Toby Melville

Hancock added that the relevant information has been passed on to the World Health Organization.

The WHO said that they are in constant contact with the British authorities, and receive up-to-date information on the situation from them.

“We are working closely with UK officials on the new strain of the COVID-19 virus.

They will continue to share data and results from their analyzes and ongoing research.

We will inform WHO Member States and the public as information becomes available about the characteristics of this type of virus and the possible consequences, ”the organization assured.

In turn, the chief sanitary doctor of England Chris Whitty confirmed that the new strain of COVID-19 can spread faster than the original SARS CoV-2, but drew attention to the fact that there is no evidence that it can cause higher mortality and against it already developed vaccines will work, at the moment they are not.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking on December 19 at a press conference, said that the detected COVID-19 mutation may be 70% more infectious than the original version of the virus.

At the same time, he also noted that he does not have data that this virus is capable of causing an increase in mortality or a more severe course of the disease.

Against this backdrop, Johnson announced the introduction of new restrictive measures in London and several regions in the south-east of England in order to stop the spread of infection.

According to the prime minister, the fourth level of restrictions will come into force in the region on December 20, which will be similar to the lockdown that previously operated in the kingdom.

In particular, residents are prohibited from meeting other families on Christmas Day.

Non-food stores and gyms are re-closed, and a ban on entry and exit from the zone with the fourth level of restrictions comes into force.

After the announcement of the new measures, many Londoners tried to leave the city, Sky News and the Daily Mail reported.

According to media reports, "a huge number of people" have accumulated at the railway stations of the capital, and there are also traffic jams at the exits from the city.

Authorities stepped up patrols at the stations and reminded residents to stay home.

The head of the Ministry of Health of the country, Matt Hancock, accused the townspeople of irresponsible behavior.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the UK has the sixth place in the world in the number of detected cases of coronavirus - COVID-19 was confirmed in more than 2 million people.

During the pandemic, 67.5 thousand patients died from the disease in the kingdom.