Last train to Paris: a farewell among staff for the last scheduled Eurostar from London after travel restrictions were imposed by the French government on the UK
Credit: REUTERS
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Britain was hit with a travel ban on Sunday night by a host of European countries to halt the spread of the new, more infectious coronavirus strain.
The ban on passenger flights and freight transport from the UK threatened to disrupt food supplies, Christmas gifts and even the Covid vaccine as well as hitting the festive travel plans of an estimated 250,000 Britons.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland were among 11 European countries to close their borders to flights and most freight lorries, trains and ferries from the UK from midnight on Sunday night, but the ban could be extended to the entire bloc.
The EU will hold an emergency meeting on Monday morning to discuss a blanket ban that could cost UK consumers £400 million in cancelled bookings.
In a sign of the growing concern within the Government, Boris Johnson will on Monday chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee to discuss "the steady flow of freight in and out of the UK", Downing Street said.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) warned, however, that plans by France alone to shut its border for at least 48 hours threatened "enormous disruption" to vital food and trade supplies.
Rod McKenzie, RHA director of policy, said that even though France would allow freight to leave for the UK, lorries would not be able to return.
He added: "Trade is a two-way street, what goes out, comes back and visa versa. So any disruption to free-flowing goods at this time of year will have severe consequences."
The Port of Dover on Sunday night announced it would be closed to traffic leaving the UK "until further notice".
On Sunday night, the Government warned that haulage workers should avoid travelling to Kent ports due to "significant disruption".
Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said: "We’re asking the public and particularly hauliers not to travel to Kent ports or other routes to France."
He added that the Department for Transport was urgently working with Kent Resilience Forum, Highways England and Kent council on contingency measures to "minimise traffic disruption" in the area.
The Department of Health said it had contingency plans in place to airlift the Pfizer vaccines from Belgium using military aircraft if the ban stayed in place for longer than 48 hours.
Ian Wright, head of the Food and Drink Federation, said: "The suspension of accompanied freight traffic from the UK to France has the potential to cause serious disruption to Christmas fresh food supplies and exports of UK food and drink."
Huw Merriman, chairman of the transport select committee, said the situation at the border with France was "very alarming" and that "urgent resolution" was needed.
Andrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, urged the Government and the EU to find a "pragmatic solution" and said that the closure would create difficulties for Britain’s capacity to import and export "key goods during the busy Christmas period".
He said: "While goods can enter from France, few haulage firms will be willing to send trucks and drivers across to the UK without a guarantee they can return to the EU in a timely manner.
"This is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year: the Channel crossings see 10,000 trucks passing daily during peak periods such as in the run up to Christmas."
Rise of new Covid-19 variant
The bans were triggered after Britain alerted the World Health Organisation to the new variant, which the Prime Minister warned was up to 70 per cent more transmissible than earlier strains.
The Italian health ministry said on Sunday that it had already detected a patient infected with the new strain.
On Sunday night, passengers were stranded at Heathrow as industry experts estimated the travel ban could also leave thousands of British people stuck abroad.
"Bans don’t just affect those leaving the UK but also the many thousands of British travellers who were due to return before Christmas. This ban may well last for some weeks and the financial and emotional toll on the travel sector will be catastrophic," said Paul Charles, chief executive of the travel consultancy The PC Agency.
The Netherlands was the first country to announce a ban on passenger flights from the UK until at least the end of the year followed by Belgium, which also banned Eurostar train services as well as flights for at least 24 hours.
March of the new Covid strain
Luigi di Maio, Italy’s foreign minister, announced that flights would be suspended to "protect our fellow citizens".
It was followed by Austria and then Ireland which banned flights from the UK for at least 48 hours, with the decision due to be reviewed on Tuesday.
Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron talked on the phone before announcing their suspension of all flights to Germany and France. France also banned all passenger and freight traffic on ferries, Eurostar and the Eurotunnel. Eurostar said it would only be able to run trains from Paris to London on Monday and Tuesday.
Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, is also expected to announce restrictions on inbound flights from the UK, Global News reported.
It also emerged on Sunday that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will only refund plane tickets if they are forced to cancel flights. People forced to abandon trips will only be offered a voucher or to switch their ticket to a different flight.
Meanwhile at home, thousands of passengers who booked rail tickets to leave Tier 4 areas before the latest restrictions will not receive refunds.
New Covid strain timeline
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