Germany suspends air links with UK
Germany suspends air links with UK
This decision could be adopted by all the countries of the European Union
Germany will suspend all air links with Britain "from midnight" on Sunday following the emergence of a more contagious variant of the Covid-19 virus, the health minister has announced. "From midnight all flights are stopped" for passengers from this country, Jens Spahn said on public television channel ARD.
According to a German government source, this decision could be adopted by all the countries of the European Union. Discussions are under way on this subject and Germany is running the rotating six-month eu presidency until the end of this year. An exception is made for cargo flights carrying cargo.
New threat taken 'very seriously'
At the same time, from Monday "we will restrict all entry" into Germany of British and South African citizens by sea, rail or road, the minister stressed. The details are being finalized on this. The new strain of the virus, believed to be 70% more contagious than the previous one, has been observed in both countries, raising serious fears at a time when the world is already hit by the second wave of the pandemic.
"We take this new threat very seriously" and are examining the consequences at the expert level, especially with the British, of the new variant of the virus, the German minister stressed. "A much faster contagion of the disease would be a game-changer," he said, while Germany is among the European countries most affected by the new wave.
Partial reconfinment
The country is approaching the saturation point in the number of hospital beds in intensive care. A partial refurbishment was ordered this week with the closure of all non-essential shops and schools. The Minister generally called for "no non-essential travel." In Germany, the suspension of air links with Great Britain and South Africa is initially valid until 31 December.
It is only valid until that date because the decision was taken on the basis of a European directive and Britain must leave the EU fully at the end of this year. But Germany will extend it beyond in January and has begun preparations to do so, according to the government source. "We are working on a provision for the period from 1 January," the government source told AFP.
Source:- Flash News and News Agencies