Netherlands ban all flights carrying UK passengers over new mutant coronavirus strain

Netherlands will ban flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom from today as Britain detected a new coronavirus strain. Th

e latest travel ban is set to remain in place until January 1, the government said in a statement early Sunday.

Officials added that they are monitoring developments and are considering additional measures regarding other modes of transport.

Netherlands added that in early December, sampling of a case in the country had revealed the same virus strain as that found in the UK.

In measures to control the spread of virus, the government issued a "do not travel" advisory, unless absolutely essential.

The latest ban came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and scientists announced on Saturday that the new strain of coronavirus identified in the country is up to 70% more

infectious.

Johnson also said London and southeast England, which are currently in the highest level of a three-tier system of rules, would now be placed in a new Tier 4 level.

The move saw fifteen million people plunged into stricter Covid-19 restrictions at midnight today, with Christmas shopping banned and Brits told to stay at home by law.

Christmas bubbles were also scrapped for a third of the population of England who entered the new 'Tier 4'.

And Christmas bubbles have been shortened from five days to just one - Christmas Day - for the rest of the country.

mirror