Several countries in Europe and the Middle East are banning flights from the United Kingdom amid growing concerns about a variant of the new coronavirus that spread rapidly in the country this month.
Ireland, Italy, Austria and Belgium joined the Netherlands in banning flights from the U.K. because of concerns about this variant of the new coronavirus. Kuwait and Israel followed suit. Meanwhile, other countries are considering whether to impose a flight ban, and the European Union is meeting to discuss recommendations to member states on the issue.
British scientists have been working to see if this new crown mutant strain of the virus is resistant to the newly developed vaccine.
On December 13, the existence of the strain was confirmed in Kent, southern England, and preliminary analysis by government scientists indicates that it is “growing faster than the existing variant”
The mutated new strain of coronavirus was originally identified in a patient in September. Genome sequencing, which took nearly a month, showed it was a new strain of the virus, but government scientists weren’t too worried at the time because the virus often mutates. But as the number of infections continued to spike last month and in December, government scientists realized they were dealing with a more contagious mutant version of the virus.
The World health Organization tweeted, “We are in close contact with UK officials regarding the new novel new coronavirus variant. They will continue to share their information and analysis as well as the results of ongoing research. We will provide updates to Member States and the public as we learn more about the characteristics and any implications of this virus variant.”
In an interview with Sky News Sunday, U.K. Health Minister Matt Hancock said the new strain of the virus is out of control and urged Britons to act as if they have been infected, especially in London, southern and eastern England. “It’s a huge challenge until we roll out a vaccine that protects people. That’s what we’re facing in the coming months.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held an impromptu ministerial meeting Friday amid growing fears about the threat posed by the mutated strain of the virus, named VUI-202012/01. Johnson told a press conference Saturday that so far there is no evidence that the vaccine will be less effective against this new strain of the virus, but he added, “There’s a lot more we don’t know.”
He noted that this new strain of the virus is 70 percent more infectious than the previous one.
The British leader announced a substantial lockdown of London and southeast England and urged people to stay home. All non-essential stores will now be closed and people should not enter or leave the British capital or much of southeastern England. Under the new instructions, police had to be deployed at London train stations as they were packed with people trying to leave the British capital.
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