A new mutation of the coronavirus is circulating in the UK. It appears to be particularly contagious. A first case also occurred in the Netherlands. The government has now imposed a flight ban.
After the discovery of a new variant of the coronavirus in Great Britain, the Netherlands no longer wants to allow air passengers from the United Kingdom to enter. The ban on air traffic with passengers from the United Kingdom will apply from this Sunday to January 1, the Dutch government announced in The Hague.
The Institute for Environment and Health RIVM had recommended that the introduction of this strain of the virus from the UK should be limited by restricting or controlling travel from the UK as much as possible. On this basis, the cabinet decided to suspend air traffic.
A virus with the variant described in the United Kingdom had already been identified in a random sample in the Netherlands at the beginning of December, it said. After the report from Great Britain, this case will be further investigated and examined who was affected, how the infection came about and whether related cases are known.
Lockdown for London and areas of southern England
Due to the rapid spread of a new variant of the corona virus in Great Britain, the British government withdrew the planned easing over the Christmas holidays until December 30 on Saturday. London and other areas in the south of England were already at the highest level of the three-tier warning system in England with correspondingly tiered restrictions. In the third stage, for example, meetings indoors were prohibited, but you were allowed to go to the hairdresser or fitness studio.
Now a fourth, even higher level has been introduced, in which, among other things, all non-essential shops and hairdressers have been closed since Saturday. Since midnight, residents of London and the south-east of England have also been asked to stay at home. Regions in level 4 should not be entered or left, people are only allowed to meet at most one person from another household, whoever can should work from home.
The recently discovered variant VUI2020 / 12/01 is up to 70 percent more contagious than the previously known form, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. There is no evidence that vaccines against the mutation are less effective.
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