The appearance in the United Kingdom of a new strain of Covid-19, more contagious, led several countries to suspend flights and trains from British territory on Sunday.

In Paris, many expatriates and expatriate relatives hurried to take their train before possible suspensions in France.

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Concern is mounting in Europe over the new variant of Covid-19 circulating in the United Kingdom, where London and the south-east of England have been reconfined since Sunday.

Several countries have already announced that they are suspending their train and plane connections to London.

In France, an extraordinary health defense council is chaired Sunday evening by Emmanuel Macron.

At the Gare du Nord in Paris, the weekend was marked by an effervescence on the platforms from which the Eurostar depart.

Many travelers, expatriates or relatives of expatriates, hurried to take their train, anticipating a possible stop of the lines.

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"My children are over there"

In the hall of the station, Kaba hurries to go to the registration of his train.

In his right hand a huge suitcase, in the left the hand of his son.

Her other children are students in London, and they all planned to meet up for the holidays.

A reunion maintained, despite the confinement.

"It's Christmas, we have to celebrate with the family", she said at the microphone of Europe 1.

"My children are there, every year we celebrate it together, they are not going to deprive us this year", continues the mother, who is nevertheless worried about not being able to return to France once another side of the Channel.

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Concern about returning to France

Links with the UK could be suspended in the coming hours.

A possibility which had not thought of Anastasia, a young Frenchwoman living in London and about to board her Eurostar.

"I'm not worried in the sense that I'm a French national, so I think I won't have a problem if one day I want to go home, even in an emergency."

For his part, Adam resigned himself to staying in France when his train had been scheduled for several weeks.

"Back to square one," he said, referring to the previous confinement.

"We're going to be patient, that's all."