Following the new coronavirus strain in UK, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany announced, Sunday, banning UK flights amid fears over new virus strain in England.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced halting flights and Eurostar trains from the U.K. for a minimum 24-hour period starting midnight as a “precaution” against the virus.
De Croo stated that Belgium is now following suit with a 24-hour ban on flights and trains from Britain, according to the scientific consultations.
“Of course, that could be extended should it appear that we have more conclusive data,” he said.
The Netherlands also banned, Sunday morning, flights from the U.K. which could run until January 1, in order to prevent the new infectious strain of the coronavirus that’s spreading in southern England.
[embed]https://twitter.com/DutchMFA/status/1340466053009317888?s=08[/embed]
They had already called for EU cooperation “to curb the import to the EU of the virus.”
Germany is also considering banning flights from Britain and South Africa, to prevent more infectious coronavirus strain circulating in the two countries, a source close to the German health ministry told AFP on Sunday.
In the same vein, Israel also banned people entering from 3 countries due to new UK strain.
“We currently see no indication that the vaccine we have won't overcome the new mutation. To the best of our knowledge, it does overcome the new strain,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “Of course we are examining this and following this development closely.”
“We are already working to stop flights to Israel from countries to which the British coronavirus mutation has arrived,” Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis told 103FM on Sunday morning, citing South Africa, England and Australia as examples.
Israelis, who will return from any country, shall enter quarantine for 14 days, starting from December 26. Nonetheless, they can choose to be tested upon return to Israel, and again, nine days later. If both tests are negative, quarantine will be shortened to 10 days.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced cancelling festive plans for millions of people, bringing in new Tier 4, under a two-week lockdown, southeast and eastern England and Wales.
“Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, the potential risk it poses, it is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned,” Johnson said in the Downing Street news conference.
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