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At least 40 countries issue travel ban from UK over new Covid strain [Video]

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:


  • Britain has discovered a new COVID-19 strain in September and experts believe it’s at least 70% contagious than other variants.
  • No less than 40 other countries have restricted travel to the U.K., creating disarray to traffic on both land and air.
  • Experts also said that as of this time, it’s still early to tell if the available vaccine will be effective or not on the new COVID-19 strain.

A new strain of COVID-19 was seen in the United Kingdom, and health authorities believe that these are more infectious. Following the latest update, at least 40 nations have moved to detach with the U.K. by shutting down borders, cutting trade paths, and banning travel,  which caused confusion and traffic at roads and airports.

However, some experts explained that substantial proof is yet to emerge that would determine that the new strain causes infections to be more deadly. It’s also uncertain if that strain has already reached the U.S.

Because of this, there’s a call to prohibit all flights from the U.K. going to the United States. The measure was following the deployment of two COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., making it the first country worldwide to have these options.

In London, several people rushed into train stations, anxious to leave the city. Britain appeared to have stopped in just two days following the detection of the new coronavirus variant that’s now spreading across the area.

Nevertheless, holiday tourism seemed not to hold up.  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced, amidst the growing concern by experts of how contagious the new strain is, that Delta Airlines and British Airways have both arranged to test customers flying from London to New York.

Trucks by the hundreds at the usually hectic Dover port now parked idle after France restricted its borders which could possibly lead to shortages on food supply.

The fear is now rising in different parts of the globe.

To date, Americans can still fly from the U.K. to the U.S. without the restrictions in place. It is expected though the challenge will be difficult as most part southeast part of England is now on a severe lockdown because of the rising COVID-19 cases.

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It was around September that the new strain was first identified. The variant now makes up for almost two-thirds of all new infections across the country. Experts believe that this strain has mutations that could be 70%  more contagious than other virus strains.

The World Health Organization asserts that COVID-19 is transmuting at a relatively slower phase than seasonal flu.

Johns Hopkins University resident epidemiologist, Dr. Caitlin Rivers,  explained that it’s still premature to have a conclusion about the strain, noting that there’s no way of telling whether the vaccine will be effective or not on the new variant.

While the CDC continues to release warnings and advising Americans to limit travel, the country’s airports are more packed than any period since the outbreak started, with TSA recording over 3 million passengers in only three days.

Source: CBS News

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