British government fears food shortages after landslide of travel bans from other countries

Boris JohnsonPhoto: Toby Melville / Pool Photo via AP

The British fear food shortages at Christmas, and the government has been summoned to an emergency meeting. 

In the last 24 hours, Canada, Denmark, and Argentina, among others, followed several EU countries, including France and Germany, and introduced flight bans and restrictions for travelers from the UK.

On Monday morning, Norway also introduced a travel ban from the UK.

EU ambassadors have been summoned to a meeting on the matter on Monday morning, and a German government source told the news agency AFP that the restrictions may apply in all EU countries, which will also now discuss a common strategy for travel from the UK by planes, ferries, and trains.

The travel bans are being introduced to the spread of a new variant of coronavirus, which can spread 70% more rapidly than usual.

Monday meeting

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government crisis committee will also meet on Monday.

According to Sky News, the biggest fear is that food deliveries and perhaps even vaccine deliveries may fall through because French suppliers may not be allowed to return to France, which has introduced a two-day entry ban from the UK.

The important Dover ferry terminal is “closed to all traffic from the UK until further notice due to border restrictions to France,” a statement from the port revealed on Sunday.

According to Sky, the government has begun monitoring how many days of food are left on the country’s grocery store shelves, fearing that some warehouses may run out if their import points are closed for more than two days.

How long will it last?

The government is also trying to avoid more congestion along the roads to the port city of Kent, where traffic has already stalled due to pandemic-related delays and the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit process.

An official from the British Freight Transport Association informed Sky that 10,000 trucks drive every day between Dover in England and Calais in France. 

Several British elected officials fear that the entry ban may last as long as the country’s current shutdown. 

On Saturday, Health Minister Matt Hancock said that it could last for several months. 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

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