International alarm grows over new Covid variant
There is growing international alarm over a fresh variant of the coronavirus in the UK, with a bunch of countries imposing travel bans.
A lot more than 40 countries have barred UK arrivals, as the EU held talks on forming a common policy.
Sweden banned foreign travellers from Denmark after cases of the variant were discovered there.
The brand new strain is more transmissible but there is absolutely no evidence it really is more deadly.
As the list of countries imposing travel restrictions on the UK grew, the World Health Organization (WHO) sought to place the risks in context.
WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said new strains were a normal portion of the evolution of a pandemic, and that it had been not "out of control", contradicting the UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who used those words on Sunday.
In another development, travellers from South Africa are also facing bars from some countries after another new variant of the virus was discovered that's unrelated to the main one within the UK.
A lot of the continent has banned UK arrivals so that they can halt the spread of the brand new strain.
France imposed a ban on passengers and freight from the UK, leading to disruption at the key southern British port of Dover.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was working with French President Emmanuel Macron to resume trade, and that he hoped the issue will be resolved "as soon as possible".
The French Transport Minister Clément Beaune said his country would by Tuesday announce what would replace the original 48-hour ban on travellers and lorries.
In Brussels, officials have already been holding talks on finding a co-ordinated response from the EU's 27 members.
No decision is expected until Tuesday, but one option discussed was demanding that UK arrivals test negative for Covid-19 before they leave.
There is some better news from the continent on Monday, with the EU's medicines regulator approving the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving just how for jabs to be given as soon as Sunday.
A great many other countries, from India, to Iran, to Canada have banned UK arrivals.
The US is yet to check out suit, but two airlines - British Airways and Delta - will only allow passengers who test negative for the coronavirus to fly to New York's John F Kennedy airport.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman have shut their borders completely to international passengers.
Along with Denmark, the new strain in addition has been detected in Australia, Italy and holland.
