Virus: London begins to see a way out of the crisis for its cross-Channel supplies

Due to strong circulation in Great Britain of this new strain of Covid-19, whose transmission is 40% to 70% higher according to London, France had suspended for 48 hours accompanied transport of goods, preventing hundreds trucks, on which the UK relies heavily for supplies, to cross the Channel.

This decision led to the English side closing the port of Dover in Kent (south-east) on Sunday evening for outgoing traffic.

Of “good progress“were made on Tuesday”with the French government on the borders“, welcomed the British Minister for Transport, Grant Shapps, on Twitter, however always asking the truck drivers not to go to Kent, where hundreds of trucks are already piling up. He promised a”update” later in the night.

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Concretely, France has announced to authorize from Wednesday, subject to a negative test for coronavirus and its variant less than 72 hours before departure, the return from the United Kingdom of French people and foreigners who reside in France or in the European space or “must make essential trips.

But this announcement is far from ending the crisis for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has turned the end of the year into a headache.

Struggling to reach a post-Brexit agreement with Brussels within 10 days of the deadline, he had to re-limit 16 million Britons and, in addition to France, he must also manage the decision of some fifty countries in total. ban arrivals from the UK.

– Concert of horns –

In an attempt to unblock the situation, the European Commission on Tuesday recommended that EU member states facilitate the resumption of traffic for “essential trips“and thus avoid”supply chain disruptions“.

However, several countries have already decided to extend the closure of their borders, such as Germany and Italy until January 6, and Ireland until December 31.

The Commission’s recommendation will be discussed Tuesday evening by ambassadors from EU member states. The agreement of the member states is not certain, according to a European diplomat.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel said earlier Tuesday that screening drivers was among the solutions put forward in talks between London and Paris.

According to local Kent authorities, more than 2,800 heavy goods vehicles were stranded Tuesday afternoon: more than 600 on the motorway leading from London to the port of Dover and the others parked at a nearby former airport where, in the afternoon , they honked for more than half an hour, being heard for miles around.

According to Rod McKenzie, the general manager of the road transport association, the stuck drivers were offered “a cereal bar“Monday from the Kent local community.”Very little, I think, to support them morally“, he declared on the BBC. Added to that is the”big problem“access to toilets and the sanitary issue.

– Tensions after Christmas –

If Christmas meal products, although largely upset by restrictions to fight the spread of the epidemic, have been spared because they have already been on UK soil, there could be supply disruptions – especially in fruits and vegetables – if the blockages persist, according to distributors.

The fear is all the stronger as the days are numbered before the end of the post-Brexit transition period on December 31. Trade negotiations between London and Brussels have still not succeeded and in the event of failure, the appearance of quotas and customs duties raises fears of serious disruptions in the country’s supplies.

Monday, Boris Johnson, criticized for his management of the pandemic which has left nearly 68,000 dead, one of the heaviest tolls in Europe, argued that the risks of transmission by truck drivers “solitaires” are “really very weak“.