The Dutch government has put an end to all passenger flights arriving from the UK after finding a case in the Netherlands of one new coronavirus strain circulating in Great Britain.
The ban, which starts at 6 a.m. (5 a.m. GMT) on Sunday and lasts until at least January 1, came just hours after Britain announced house arrest for the south of England, including London, to delay the more contagious variant. .
The Dutch public health body, RIVM, said it “recommends limiting the introduction of this strain of virus from the United Kingdom as much as possible by restricting and / or controlling passenger movements.”
According to Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet, other forms of transport are under investigation.
On Sunday, Belgium also banned flights and trains from the UK for the same reason, the AFP news agency reported.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he issued the order for 24 hours, starting at midnight “as a precaution”.
“There are many questions about this new mutation and whether it is not yet on the [European] mainland, ”he said.
Germany, meanwhile, is considering its own ban, a health ministry source told AFP.
The source said the measure is a “serious option” and that developments in the UK are being closely monitored.
The newspaper Photo on Sunday reported that ministers were drafting a new regulation that the cabinet must approve.
The measure also includes a ban on flights to South Africa, where the new species has also been discovered.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that it is in close contact with UK officials about the new variant.
“They will continue to share information and results from their analysis and ongoing studies. We will keep Member States and the public informed as we learn more about the features of this virus variant and any implications,” the WHO tweeted.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said early scientific data suggests the new coronavirus strain is up to 70% more contagious.
Europe
Germany reported a further 22,771 cases and 409 deaths in the Robert Koch Institute’s daily update.
December will be the deadliest month in Germany’s fight against the virus so far, with nearly 10,000 deaths in the first three weeks of the month.
The death toll is likely double the November death rate of 5,796.
On Monday the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to give permission for Germany to start vaccinating on December 27.
Asia Pacific
Thailand has reported the highest daily number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 548 new infections across the country. Most of the new cases are related to an outbreak in a wholesale fish and shellfish market on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok.
south Korea also reported a record daily, with 1,097 new cases, the country’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
According to KDCA, about 188 inmates and staff in a prison in southeastern Seoul have now tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of infections associated with the facility to 215.
Australia tightens its restrictions in Sydney, starting at midnight on Sunday, in an effort to quell a recent cluster of cases in the country’s most populous city.
Gladys Berejiklian, the prime minister of the state of New South Wales, told reporters that an additional 30 infections had been detected in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 68 since a new outbreak three days ago. was discovered. The area started with a four-day lockdown on Saturday evening.
America
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was paying close attention to reports of allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccination program and made recommendations on how to act for those with a history of allergies.
Anyone who had a severe reaction should not receive the second dose, the CDC said, defining severe as needing the medication epinephrine or going to the hospital for treatment.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has become the second pharmaceutical company to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for emergency use after BioNTech-Pfizer. The US is the world’s worst affected country, with more than 3,000 coronavirus deaths every day.
Canada According to official figures, more than 500,000 cases, an increase of 25% in the past two weeks.
The Ontario government announced this weekend an extension of lockdown measures in Toronto and much of the region until January 4.
“COVID-19 is spreading to people of all ages, with high infection rates in all age groups,” said Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer.
In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has rejected the global rush to buy and distribute vaccines.
“The rush is not justified,” Bolsonaro said in the video posted on social media by one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro. “It’s interference in the lives of the people.”
The comments came after the Brazilian leader, who has mitigated the severity of the virus from the start of the pandemic, appeared to spark public fear about possible side effects of getting a shot.
“The contract clearly states that Pfizer is not responsible for side effects. If you become a caiman, that’s your problem,” he said with a laugh. The caiman is a semi-aquatic reptile that resembles an alligator.
jsi / mm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)