Countries worldwide banned arrivals from the UK on Sunday, December 20, 2020, over a new highly infectious coronavirus strain Britain said was “out of control”, as the WHO called for stronger containment measures.
But there was positive news across the Atlantic where US lawmakers reached a deal for a nearly $900 billion Covid-19 financial package to help struggling Americans.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was to chair the COBR emergencies committee on Monday, his office said, after a slew of nations from Turkey to Canada blocked arrivals from Britain by air.
Crucial transit country France moved to block people and goods crossing the Channel, while the Netherlands said passengers arriving by ferry would be denied entry.
The emergency committee would “discuss the situation regarding international travel, in particular the steady flow of freight into and out of the UK,” a spokesman said.
The ban on all but unaccompanied freight crossing to France comes as companies scramble to shift merchandise with days to go until Britain finally quits European Union trade structures in the wake of Brexit.
Late Sunday, Britain’s critical south coast port at Dover said it was closing to all accompanied freight and passengers due to the French border restrictions “until further notice”.
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