According to the Associated Press on the 21st (local time), the US New York State agreed with British Airways and British Airways to pick up only passengers with a negative Corona 19 test on flights to New York.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the agreement with British Airways on the same day that it has requested Delta and Virgin Airlines to voluntarily inspect passengers departing from the UK.
“If the airlines reject it, the state will take other steps,” he warned. New York State shares the jurisdiction over the JFK International Airport with the federal government, allowing Governor Cuomo to take strong measures, including a ban on entry. The day before, Governor Cuomo urged the U.S. federal government to respond strongly, saying that even one infected person out of six British aircraft arriving daily in New York could lead to the worst.
In Europe, more and more countries are restricting transportation from the UK. According to Reuters and others, France banned transportation from the UK for 48 hours starting at 0 o’clock on the day. Not only flights, but also ports such as Dover and entry into France through the Eurotunnel were blocked.
However, on the 22nd, the BBC reported that French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and agreed to reopen the French border to Britain, and that details will be released soon. Secretary of State Clement Bonn, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of European affairs, told the BBC that the measures agreed by the two leaders would take effect from the 23rd. The agreement between the two leaders is not known in detail, but it is expected to include phased open measures for air, sea, and land transport. The German government also banned all landings from England except for cargo planes from 00:00 on the 21st. Eurostar, a high-speed train that traveled between Belgium and London, was also suspended.
In North America, Canada has banned flights from the UK. In Asia, India and Hong Kong have joined the ban on flights from the UK. In the aftermath, the London stock market’s FTSE 100 index closed down 1.73% from the previous trading day. The pound-dollar exchange rate also fell 1.16% as of 6 p.m. (GMT).
Earlier, Prime Minister Johnson decided on an emergency blockade last weekend, saying that the COVID-19 variant is rapidly spreading in the capital London and southeastern England. Corona 19 strains are known to have up to 70% higher infectivity than existing Corona 19.
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