The Dutch government stopped all passenger flights entering the UK after finding a case in the Netherlands new coronavirus strain which circulated in the United Kingdom.
The ban, which starts on Sunday at 06:00 (05:00 GMT) and lasts at least until January 1, came just hours after the UK announced a home order for the south of England, including London, to slow down the more infectious variant.
The Dutch public health body, RIVM, said it “recommends that any introduction of this strain of the virus in the United Kingdom be limited as much as possible by limiting and / or controlling passenger movements”.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet said other forms of transport are still being examined.
Sunday, Belgium it also banned flights and trains in the UK for the same reason, the AFP news agency reported.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has said he will issue the order for 24 hours starting at midnight “as a precaution”.
“There are a lot of questions about this new mutation and whether it is not already on [European] continent, “he said.
Germanymeanwhile, he is considering his own ban, a source in the Ministry of Health told AFP.
The source said the measure is a “serious option” and that developments in the UK are being closely monitored.
newspaper Picture Sunday reported that ministers are drafting a new regulation for cabinet approval.
The measure would also include a ban on flights to South Africa, where the new strain was also discovered.
World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that it is in close contact with British officials on the new option.
“They will continue to share information and results of the ongoing analysis and studies. We will update Member States and the public as we learn more about the characteristics of this variant of the virus and any implications,” the WHO wrote on Twitter.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said early scientific data suggests that the new coronavirus strain is up to 70% more infectious.
Europe
Germany reported another 22,771 cases and 409 deaths in the daily update provided by the Robert Koch Institute.
December will be the deadliest month to date in Germany’s battle with the virus, with nearly 10,000 deaths in the first three weeks of the month.
The death toll is likely to double the November mortality rate of 5,796.
Months European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to give its approval for Germany to start vaccination on December 27.
Asia Pacific
Thailand reported the highest daily number of coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 548 new infections nationwide. Most of the new cases are related to an outbreak in a wholesale seafood market on the outskirts of the capital, Bangkok.
South Korea It also reported a record daily level of 1,097 new cases, the country’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
About 188 detainees and employees in a prison in southeastern Seoul tested positive for the virus, according to KDCA, bringing the total number of plant-related infections to 215.
Australia it is tightening its restrictions in Sydney, starting at midnight on Sunday, in an effort to quell a recent case in the country’s most populous city.
Gladys Berejiklian, the Prime Minister of New South Wales, told reporters that 30 more infections had been detected in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 68, since a new outbreak was detected three days ago. . The area began a four-day blockade on Saturday night.
America
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was paying close attention to reports of allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccination program and made recommendations on how people with a history of allergies should proceed.
Anyone who has had a severe reaction should not receive the second dose, the CDC said, defining severe as needing epinephrine medication or having to go to the hospital for treatment.
The Modern COVID-19 vaccine became the second pharmaceutical company to receive US Food and Drug Administration authorization for emergency use after BioNTech-Pfizer. The United States is the most affected nation in the world, with over 3,000 coronavirus deaths a day.
Canada exceeded 500,000 cases, according to official figures, an increase of 25% in the last two weeks.
The Ontario government announced this weekend an extension of the blockade measures in Toronto and much of the region until January 4.
“COVID-19 is spreading among people of all ages, with high infection rates in all age groups,” said Canada’s chief physician, Theresa Tam.
Into the BrazilPresident Jair Bolsonaro has rejected the global rush to buy and distribute vaccines.
“The rush is not justified,” Bolsonaro said in a video posted on social media by one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro. “It’s an interference in people’s lives.”
The comments came after the Brazilian leader, who reduced the severity of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, appeared to raise public fears about the potential side effects of getting a jab.
“The contract clearly states that Pfizer is not responsible for side effects. If you turn into an alligator, that’s your problem,” he said, laughing. The caiman is a semi-aquatic reptile similar to an alligator.
jsi / mm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)