Sunday, December 20, 2020

Dutch ban UK flights, fearing the new coronavirus variant

FILE- In this Friday Dec. 18, 2020, file photo, A traveller wearing a face mask checks the flight departures at Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Netherlands is banning flights from the United Kingdom for the rest of the year in an attempt to make sure that a new strain of the COVID-19 virus in Britain does not reach its shores. The ban came into effect Sunday morning Dec. 20, 2020, and the government said it was reacting to tougher measures imposed in and around London on Saturday. The Netherlands said it will assess "with other EU nations the possibilities to contain the import of the virus from the United Kingdom." (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, FILE)

 

THE HAGUE (AP) — The Netherlands is banning flights from the U.K. for at least the rest of the year in an attempt to make sure that a new strain of coronavirus that is sweeping across southern England does not reach its shores.

The ban came into effect Sunday morning and the government said it was reacting to tougher measures imposed in London and surrounding areas on Saturday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Netherlands said it will assess “with other European Union nations the possibilities to contain the import of the virus from the United Kingdom.”

Johnson said a fast-moving new variant of the virus that is 70% more transmissible than existing strains appears to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/europe-netherlands-england-united-kingdom-coronavirus-pandemic-c2e9abde0358495c12c567b34be356b4

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