France and the UK resumed passenger traffic through the Pas-de-Calais this morning, December 23. Last night France decided to allow French nationals from the UK or foreign nationals with relatives in France to enter France with the test results. Paris announced the closure of its borders to the UK two days ago as a result of the rampant variant of the coronavirus in the UK.
Last night, the port of Dover ended a 48-hour traffic ban. French, Belgian authorities are allowing large trucks to pass through the channel on condition that drivers of large trucks, regardless of their nationality, are tested for the virus and receive a negative result before they can pass.
According to the French workers force FO union, as of last night, there were about 18,000 large trucks trapped by the British variant of the coronavirus, of which 5,000-6,000 were French trucks , with an estimated 3,000 large trucks trapped in the port of Dover. There is also the problem that the virus test necessary to pass the border is not free of charge and the union has called for the cost of the test to be paid by the companies to which the drivers belong, but as yet the union has not reached an agreement with the parties on this.
Paris last night had granted permission for French nationals or those with relatives in France to enter France from the UK by plane or Eurostar trains in the Cross Harbour Tunnel, starting today. The condition is that these people provide a negative test result within 72 hours.
Shipping in the Pas-de-Calais resumed this morning. However, there are suspicions that the mutated virus may have already infiltrated the European continent. Combined with family reunions for the Christmas and New Year holidays, French health authorities fear a spike in the number of people infected and French hospitals fear a renewed overflow dilemma.
The European Union is trying to work with the United Kingdom to coordinate controls on the movement of people. If anything, France, Belgium and the Netherlands have reopened their borders to people from Britain, but Germany and other countries still have tight border controls on Britain and may not lift the ban until Jan. 6.
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