As previously done by Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, also Ireland cancels Uk flights. EU nations are worried about the new Covid strain. France has introduced some restrictions.
Covid, Ireland cancels UK flights
Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and now Ireland have banned flights from UK. The concern about the new Covid variant is high in EU.
In the meanwhile, France suppressed all travel from UK for 48 hours. This time span will hopefully allow to find a common doctrine for dealing with this new threat. Transports to UK are not affected.
Ireland imposed the same 48-hour ban. “We need haulage coming in to keep our shelves full but other passengers will be restricted. This new strain of Covid, which the UK has identified, seems to have a much higher transmission rate“. Ireland’s transport minister, Eamon Ryan, said.
He then added. “On a precautionary basis it’s right for us to follow up on the Dutch, Belgium, Italian and other governments will do the same. Any passengers who are in transit will have to set up mechanism to repatriate them in a safe way, but general travel between here and Britain is going to be restricted and we are going to review that at Cabinet to see if there will be any further changes”.
Those travel bans follow the identification of a new Covid strain, apparently 70% more infectuos. As a consequence, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson put London and the south-east of England under Tier-4 level of restriction.
The whole region is under a two-week lockdown and more than 18m persons won’t celebrate Christmas this year.