Some goods and passengers from the United Kingdom began arriving on the French shores on Wednesday morning, thanks to an agreement with France to lift a two-day blockade imposed due to a new strain of the coronavirus in Britain, but the slow resumption of the Traffic stranded thousands of truckers and travelers on the English side.
Many were still struggling to get through after Britain’s isolation, which raised fears of food shortages in the country.
Officials warned that the delay would take days to clear, and frustrated truckers fought police at the port of Dover. Some took the opportunity to claim that the chaos was only a warning of what Britain could face if it does not reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union soon before it leaves the bloc on December 31.
“If you look around, it really doesn’t seem like there is much progress around here,” said Ben Richtzenhaim, a financial services worker who drove overnight from Scotland in hopes of getting to Germany by car. “People are still not moving and the authorities are not doing anything either. So this is a real stalemate. “
Nations around the world began banning people and goods from Britain over the weekend after a new version of the virus was detected there that could be more contagious. The announcement added to the anxiety that already existed in Europe after being hit by new infections and deaths from the virus.
On Wednesday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said another new variant, hailing from South Africa, had appeared in Britain. Hancock announced restrictions on travel from the African country.
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