Mcb777 CricketBritain branded a ‘disaster’ as mutant Covid spreads to six countries and 40 nations ban UK flights | The Sun - Machibet777 Cricket

THE UK has been branded a "disaster" as a mutant strain of the coronavirus causes chaos and 40 countries place bans on British flights.

The new strain, thought to be up to 70 per cent more infectious than the original, was first detected in London earlier this month and has now been identified in at least six other territories around the world.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Boris Johnson cancelled a planned relaxation of lockdown measures over Christmas amid concern over the new strainCredit: Reuters

The mutation's spread prompted dozens of countries around the world to impose travel bans on flight from the UKCredit: AFP or licensors

The strain's alarming spread prompted Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the weekend to scale back the relaxation of lockdown measures over Christmas for millions across the UK.

Speaking from Downing Street, he said scientists are "learning more about this variant" as they go, but that it was "now spreading very fast".

Tier four restrictions have now been imposed across the southeast, south, and east of England, with a travel ban enforced and residents told not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.

The news prompted alarm around the world, with dozens of countries imposing a ban on flights from the UK.

France's Le Monde newspaper said the strain "concludes a disaster year for the United Kingdom", while Belgium's HLN paper said that "chaos looms" for the country.

It comes as...

It emerged the 'supercharged' Covid mutation was first spotted in Brazil EIGHT months ago
An expert says the UK Covid mutant strain could be the 'tip of the iceberg'
The US says 'everything is on the table' about a possible UK travel ban
The France travel ban sparked huge seven-mile queues from the Kent coast

At least 17 countries across Europe - including France, Germany, and Ireland - have imposed bans, as have Canada, India, Russia, Israel, and numerous other countries globally.

The US is yet to follow suit, but speaking today Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said that "everything [is] on the table";.

The ban in Germany left more than 60 Brits stranded and sleeping on camp beds at an airport in Hanover while screening was carried out.

France has also closed its borders to freight lorries from the UK for 48 hours, a move that it is feared could have a "devastating" effect on the supply of food and other goods in Britain.

The French say they are working on a plan to get lorries moving later tonight.

The new strain is confirmed to have spread to at least five other places - Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Gibraltar, and Australia - but officials have said it is likely to already be circulating elsewhere.

There have been unverified reports of confirmed cases in Belgium.

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE BANNED FLIGHTS FROM BRITAIN?

The news of the mutant strain of coronavirus spreading in the UK prompted countries around the world to introduce bans on travellers from Britain.

Argentina: After a flight arrives Monday, all links with the UK will be shut.
Austria: Flights have been banned from midnight on Tuesday.
Belgium: Flights have been banned for a further 24 hours after a one-day suspension was introduced from midnight on Sunday.
Bulgaria: Flights suspended until January 31.
Canada: Justin Trudeau has tweeted that flights have been temporarily suspended for 72 hours from Sunday night. Brits who arrived on Sunday will be subject to extra screenings and other “advanced measures”.
Chile: Flights suspended to the UK from Tuesday. Anyone who has travelled to Britain in the past two weeks and does not have Chilean residency will also be banned.
Colombia: All flights to and from the UK have been suspended from midnight Monday until further notice.
Croatia: Flights suspended until January 31.
El Salvador: Anyone who has traveled to South Africa or the UK in the past 30 days will be denied entry.
Estonia: Flights suspended until January 1.
Finland: Flights have been suspended for two weeks.
France: All travel to the UK was halted for 48 hours on Sunday night, including freight, rail, ferry and air networks. Only unaccompanied freight will be allowed through. Eurostar and Eurotunnel services are not running, while the port at Dover is also closed.
Germany: An initial air ban has been brought in until December 31, although authorities are working to extend this into January. Freight is exempt from the ban.
Hong Kong: All arrivals from the UK in the last 14 days will have their quarantine extended, while new arrivals will be banned from midnight Tuesday.
India: All flights from the UK will be banned until midnight on December 31. Anyone who transits through Britain will automatically be tested on arrival in India.
Iran: Flights suspended for two weeks.
Ireland: Flights have been banned for 48 hours from midnight on Sunday. The 310 mile long land border remains open at this time
Israel: All travellers from Britain, South Africa and Denmark have been banned entry. Israeli citizens returning from these places will be subject to tough quarantine, according to Benjamin Natanyahu.
Italy: Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said he has signed a decree "which blocks flights from Great Britain and prohibits entry into Italy of people who have stayed there during the last 14 days".
Jamaica: All incoming flights from the UK are banned until January 4.
Jordan: All flights between the kingdom and the UK are suspended until January 3.
Kuwait: Banned flights from the UK and added Britain to its list of ‘high-risk nations’.
Latvia: Flights suspended until January 1. Bus and ferry services have also been shut down.
Lithuania: Flights suspended until January 1.
Macedonia: Flights suspended until January 31.
Malta: All flights suspended to and from the UK from midnight on Tuesday.
Mauritius: Travellers from the UK and South Africa will be banned from midnight, with anyone travelling to those countries in the past 14 days will also be denied entry.
Morocco: All flights to the UK banned from Sunday.
Netherlands: All air and ferry services have been stopped until January 1 as one new case of the mutant strain has been found in the Netherlands.
Norway: All flights suspended for two days.
Oman: All borders have closed for two weeks.
Peru: All flights to and from Europe have been suspended for two weeks President Francisco Sagasti announced.
Poland: All those travelling from the UK will be denied entry from midnight Monday.
Portugal: Lisbon has announced its ban in coordination with Spain, it's only neighbour by land.
Romania: Flights banned for two weeks.
Russia: The Kremlin have suspended air travel between Russia and the UK for a week.
Saudi Arabia: All borders have closed for one week. Arrivals from Europe over the weekend will be made to quarantine for two weeks and will be tested.
Spain: Madrid has announced that all non-residents and citizens entering from the UK will be banned from Tuesday. Controls on entry will also be tightened in Gibraltar.
Sweden: Travellers from the UK and Denmark have been banned from midnight Monday for an initial 48 hours, although Swedish citizens will be exempted.
Switzerland: Flights have been suspended until further notice. Arrivals from South Africa are now also banned and ordered into quarantine, although Swiss authorities announced they believe the mutated virus is already circulating in the country, but has yet to show up on tests.
Turkey: Flights from the UK, along with South Africa, Denmark and the Netherlands have been suspended.

Scientists have said that the new mutation - dubbed N510Y - was first identified in Brazil more than eight months ago, but is now spreading faster as part of a "constellation of multiple mutations".

Speaking to the Telegraph, Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the government's Nervtag advisory committee, said: "When you put virus mutations together, the combination can have a different effect."

It has also been said that the new strain has only been identified because of the work being done in the UK to trek variations of the virus as it moves through the population.

"Very likely that what we are seeing in Britain is just the tip of the iceberg."
Professor Jacob Moran-Gilad

Speaking to the , Prof. Jacob Moran-Gilad a microbiologist at Ben-Gurion University’s School of Public Health, said: “The British are currently the world leaders in their rate of genetic sequencing for COVID-19 patient samples.

"That’s why they’re the ones that find these things."

He added that it's "very likely that what we are seeing in Britain is just the tip of the iceberg".

"There are most likely a lot of mutations we don’t yet know about because most of the world doesn’t consistently survey and track the mutation,” he said.