Talks aimed at reopening the Channel crossing are ongoing after France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours over concerns about a new variant of coronavirus spreading quickly in southeast England, with hopes that an agreement could be reached as soon as today.
Around 50 countries have so far banned arrivals from the UK in an attempt to stop the variant from taking hold, with countries such as South Africa and The Netherlands also targeted by travel restrictions after cases were reported there.
China announced on Tuesday it was closing its London Visa application centre in the wake of the worldwide bans. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation gave its cautious backing to the flight bans, saying they were “prudent” but argued for essential freight and passenger services to be maintained.
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