Canada stops commercial and private flights to UK

Canada has stopped all the commercial passengers and private flights to the United Kingdom as the country has reported a surge in the new strain of the novel coronavirus.

The United Kingdom’s European neighbours began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday, and others were considering similar action, amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar in the country.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands,Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria all announced restriction on travel to the UK, hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be cancelled because of rapidly spreading infections due to the new coronavirus variant.

France banned all travel from the U.K. for 48 hours from midnight Sunday, including trucks carrying freight through the tunnel under the English Channel or from the port of Dover on England’s south coast.

“The coronavirus variant recently discovered in London is worrying and will need to be investigated by our scientists,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

Meanwhile, Indian National Congress, too, has demanded that all the flights to the UK be suspended.