UK bans ships and planes and truckers from Denmark in bid to stop mink strain of Covid
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 8 Nov, 2020 CET.
Updated: Sun 8 Nov 2020 14:58 CET
The UK has further tightened restrictions on travel from Denmark, as it seeks prevent a new Danish coronavirus strain from spreading to the UK.
The UK will from Sunday:
-
ban all planes or ships travelling from Denmark from landing or docking in the country
-
ban lorry drivers resident outside the UK from entering the country if they have been in Denmark within 14 days
-
require UK resident lorry drivers who have been in Denmark to quarantine for 14 days.
The tightened restrictions come after the Danish health authorities reported that it had identified a strain of mutated coronavirus, which had spread from mink to humans, and which appeared to be less well targeted by antibodies developed by those who have had COVID-19.
"Given the significant unknowns regarding the new mutation of COVID-19 originating in Denmark we have moved quickly to protect our citizens and prevent the spread of the virus to the UK," the Department of Transport said in a press statement.
"The UK government is working closely with international partners to understand the changes in the virus that have been reported in Denmark and we are conducting a programme of further research here in the UK to inform our risk assessments."
Denmark was removed from the UK’s travel corridors list on Friday, meaning visitors who are neither British residents or British nationals, and who have come from or through Denmark, are banned from entering the UK. The ban came into force at 4am on Saturday.
As part of the new tightened restrictions, British Nationals and residents returning from Denmark have been asked to self-isolate along with their households for 14 days, and to show a complete passenger locator form on arrival in the UK, to help track any outbreaks of the virus.
On Saturday, the UK's Home Office announced they would place more guards at the border to make sure everyone arriving in the UK is following the new restrictions.
The measures will be reviewed after seven days.
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The UK will from Sunday:
- ban all planes or ships travelling from Denmark from landing or docking in the country
- ban lorry drivers resident outside the UK from entering the country if they have been in Denmark within 14 days
- require UK resident lorry drivers who have been in Denmark to quarantine for 14 days.
The tightened restrictions come after the Danish health authorities reported that it had identified a strain of mutated coronavirus, which had spread from mink to humans, and which appeared to be less well targeted by antibodies developed by those who have had COVID-19.
"Given the significant unknowns regarding the new mutation of COVID-19 originating in Denmark we have moved quickly to protect our citizens and prevent the spread of the virus to the UK," the Department of Transport said in a press statement.
"The UK government is working closely with international partners to understand the changes in the virus that have been reported in Denmark and we are conducting a programme of further research here in the UK to inform our risk assessments."
Denmark was removed from the UK’s travel corridors list on Friday, meaning visitors who are neither British residents or British nationals, and who have come from or through Denmark, are banned from entering the UK. The ban came into force at 4am on Saturday.
As part of the new tightened restrictions, British Nationals and residents returning from Denmark have been asked to self-isolate along with their households for 14 days, and to show a complete passenger locator form on arrival in the UK, to help track any outbreaks of the virus.
On Saturday, the UK's Home Office announced they would place more guards at the border to make sure everyone arriving in the UK is following the new restrictions.
The measures will be reviewed after seven days.
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