Most EU countries suspend flights to the UK because of the new coronavirus strain

European Union (EU) countries have decided to suspend flights connecting to the UK in the face of the existing lack of control of the new variant of the COVID-19 that has spread through UK territory. The aim is to prevent further contagion with the movement of people between Europe and Britain.  

Although the EU-27 have defended this Monday the importance of keeping the borders of the Schengen area open, after the majority of the EU nations have suspended or limited their connections with the United Kingdom, including Spain, in view of the new variant of the virus detected. 

Representatives of the EU Member States met urgently in Brussels to analyse the new situation, and from the meeting emerged "support for a rapid" and "coordinated" reaction to the connections with the United Kingdom, according to Community sources. At the same time, the "importance of keeping the borders within the Schengen area open" was stressed, "given the experience of the beginning of the pandemic", when in March European countries closed their borders one after the other. 

In view of the fear of the new strain in the United Kingdom, it has been isolated; while there is doubt as to whether the new mutation of the virus could resist the newly developed vaccines.

The blockade is particularly noticeable in the Eurotunnel through the Dover pass, with thousands of lorries stopped, many of them Spanish. The same is true on the other side of the Channel, at the entrance to Calais in northern France. France was one of the first countries to close its connections with the United Kingdom, followed shortly afterwards by Germany, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland and the Baltic countries, and later by Spain and Portugal. 

Despite the closure over the UK, some spread of the new virus strain has not been prevented, at least for now to Denmark, Australia or Gibraltar, a British colony in Spain where at least one case has been detected. 

Complicating the situation, South Africa has also reported that it has detected a new variant of the coronavirus, different from the one that spreads the disease in the south of the UK. Once again, numerous countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia, have also suspended flights to South Africa. 

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that there is no evidence that the new strain causes a more serious infection or affects the effectiveness of diagnostic tests and available vaccines. 

Along the same lines, the Spanish Ministry of Health has indicated that the mutation should not modify the effectiveness of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine or the diagnostic tests. Director General of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Healthcare Products (AEMPS), María Jesús Lamas, has stated that variations in the virus "will not necessarily imply modification of the effectiveness of the vaccine".  

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline Etihad Airways will temporarily suspend passenger services between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Muscat (Oman) and Kuwait until further notice, an announcement based on directives from the respective authorities to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

A company spokesman said the measure is aimed at limiting the spread of the disease. "The safety of its customers and crew is Etihad's highest priority and we regret any inconvenience the suspension may cause. We will work closely with impacted guests to notify them of the suspension and help them rearrange their travel plans."