LONDON (AP) – More than 1,500 trucks were stranded in England on Tuesday morning amid fears that Britain could face a food shortage if travel restrictions are put in place to slow the spread of a new strain of coronavirus will not be lifted soon.
Dozens of countries around the world have hit hard travel boards in the UK in recent days: from Canada to India, nations have banned flights from the UK, while France has banned trucks from entering the country for 48 hours late Sunday, while the strain is evaluated. .
Interior Minister Priti Patel told BBC Radio that the British government was “constantly talking” to France to get a speedy resolution, to get the goods moving again. Meanwhile, trucks were gathering in Kent, the county in the south-east of England, which hosts some of the most popular trans-Canal ports.
Patel said 650 vehicles were lined up on the main highway in Dover Harbor, while another 873 were redirected to nearby, disused Manston Airport.
“It is in both interests, both countries, to make sure we have flow and, of course, there are European carriers who want to go home,” she said.
While the French ban does not prevent trucks from entering the UK, the movement has raised concerns about shortages at a time of year when the UK produces very little of its food and relies heavily on products delivered from Europe by truck. .
Many trucks carrying goods from the UK to the mainland return loaded with goods. The fear is that he will fall. Also, some drivers or their employers may decide not to enter the UK for fear that they will not be able to return home.
With around 10,000 lorries passing through Dover every day, accounting for about 20% of the country’s goods trade, retailers are becoming increasingly concerned if there is no resolution soon.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, warned of potential food shortages, such as lettuce, fresh vegetables and fruit, after Christmas if borders do not “move freely enough” from Wednesday.
“The problem is the empty trucks, so the empty trucks that are now stuck in Kent have to go back to places like Spain to pick up the next batch of raspberries and strawberries, and they have to come back the next day or so. “Otherwise we will see interruptions,” he said.
Over the weekend, Johnson imposed strict blockade measures in London and surrounding areas amid growing concerns about the new variant of the virus..
The executive director of BioNTech – the German pharmaceutical company behind a vaccine now running in the UK and elsewhere – said he was confident his shot would work. against the new variant, but further studies are needed to be completely sure.
Ugur Sahin said on Tuesday that “we do not know at this time if our vaccine is also able to provide protection against this new variant”, but because the proteins in the variant are 99% the same as the predominant strains BioNTech has “scientific confidence” in the vaccine.
Johnson said that early indications indicate that the variant is 70% more communicable and cause the spread of infections in the capital and surrounding areas.
As a result, he canceled a planned relaxation of the Christmas rules for millions of people and imposed other new harsh restrictions in the affected area. Household mixing will not be allowed and only essential travel will be allowed.
The virus is responsible for 1.7 million deaths worldwide, including nearly 68,000 people in the UK, the second largest number of deaths in Europe, behind the 69,000 people in Italy.
The chaos on the border comes at a time of great uncertainty for Britain, less than two weeks before it completes its exit from the EU and breaks free from the bloc’s rules. Discussions about a post-Brexit trade relationship between the two sides are blocked.
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