Countries ban travel from the UK in the run to block the new Covid-19 strain

Travel restrictions, following the identification of the new strain earlier this week, mark further setbacks in efforts to fight the deadly coronavirus despite the start of vaccinations in recent days.

The Netherlands moved first, banning all passenger flights from the UK until 1 January. Belgium continued quickly, banning flights and train arrivals from the Eurostar train line, starting at midnight on Sunday, initially for 24 hours.

“This is a precautionary measure and we will see later if we need additional measures,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told Belgian RTBF on Sunday. Both countries continued to allow ferry crossings, but with greater passenger control.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein convened a special cabinet meeting on Sunday to consider an immediate ban on travelers from the United Kingdom, Denmark and South Africa, where indications of the new strain, as reported by Netanyahu’s official website.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a news conference on Saturday that scientists believe the new variant could be up to 70% more transmissible than more established strains. He said there is no evidence that it is more deadly or resistant to vaccines, despite its faster person-to-person transmission.

In response to the discovery, Johnson imposed a new closure on London and nearby areas of south-east and east England. The new measures include a ban on mixing households at Christmas.

The new strain of the virus accounted for 62% of new cases identified in London between week and Wednesday. The Dutch government said on Sunday that it had also discovered through examination of a Covid-19 case earlier this month that the strain was present in the Netherlands.

“Following the latest UK reports, this case is being further investigated,” a statement from the Dutch government said.

The UK reported on Monday its discovery of the new strain and has already notified the World Health Organization.

The Dutch government plans to meet with other EU governments in the coming days to “explore the scope to further limit the risk of the new strain of the virus being brought from the UK,” the statement said. communiqué.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said last Sunday that Italy would also ban flights from the UK, although he did not specify when the ban would take effect.

“The UK has sounded the alarm about a new form of Covid resulting from a mutation in the virus,” Di Maio wrote on his Facebook page. “Our priority is to protect Italy and our compatriots.” Belgium and the Netherlands have recently seen an acceleration in the speed at which the coronavirus spreads. Both countries slowed down a drop in virus cases last month, although it did not reach the low levels reached in the summer, after the first wave.

The UK reported 27,052 new infections daily on Saturday, bringing the total number of known cases in Britain to more than 2 million. There are currently nearly 19,000 people in the hospital with Covid-19, and the country has recorded more than 400 deaths a day on average over the past seven days.

The UK earlier this month became the first Western country to start vaccinating people with a clinically approved vaccine. Johnson said 350,000 people had now been shot. This compares to more than 137,000 on December 15th.

EU officials expect this week to approve the same vaccine and start administering it on 27 December.

Patrick Vallance, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, said on Saturday that the new strain had already displaced the previous ones in some parts of England. “This virus takes off, moves quickly, and inevitably leads to a sharp increase in hospital admissions,” he said.

—Francis X. Rocca in Rome contributed to this article

Write to Daniel Michaels to [email protected]