UK warns of another strain of coronavirus for

British authorities have identified two cases of another new strain of coronavirus, originating in South Africa, “Very worrying” because “more contagious” than that found on its territory a few days ago.

“This new variant is of great concern as it is more contagious and appears to have mutated more than the new variant which has been identified in the UK,” said Health Minister Matt Hancock.

The official requested that anyone who has been in South Africa or in “close contact” with anyone who has been there in the past two weeks should “quarantine themselves immediately.“and announced travel restrictions in the African country.

On the other hand, goods and passengers from British territory started arriving on French shores on Wednesday after France opened its border after a two-day closure due to another coronavirus mutation that has kept the UK isolated and thousands stranded. truckers, generating fears of shortages.

Authorities have warned that normalization of the transit of goods and people could take several days, and German airline Lufthansa sent a special cargo flight with 80 tonnes of fruit, vegetables and other perishables to the UK for avoid the feared food shortage until the situation is resolved.

An agreement reached on Tuesday evening allowing truckers and passengers who tested negative for the coronavirus to cross France via the English Channel brought some relief, after The country closed its borders to trucks from the UK last Sunday to prevent the arrival of the new strain of the coronavirus.

Brexit

But Many have warned that the chaos experienced these days was a glimpse of what the UK could experience if it didn’t reach a last minute free trade deal with the European Union (EU) by now January 31., when the time limit for both to achieve this ends after leaving the country of the bloc, last January.

A first ferry with trucks and cars docked in the French port of Calais this Wednesday before dawn after leaving the English port of Dover, and freight trains and private cars were also allowed to cross to the mainland via the tunnel that crosses it. under arm.

Fifty countries suspended connections with the UK last Sunday, a day after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new variant was responsible for an increase in coronavirus cases in London and south-east England. The Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria have eased travel restrictions on the UK in recent hours, but most other countries have still maintained them.