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DOVER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Lorries queue during operation stack on the M20 towards Dover on December 21, 2020 in Dover, England. Citing concern over a new covid-19 variant and England s surge in cases, France temporarily closed its border with the UK late Sunday, halting freight and ferry departures from the port of Dover for 48 hours. France also joined several other European countries in stopping rail and air travel from the UK. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
HGVs turning up at Dover this morning have been greeted with glowing signs saying “French borders closed” and are being turned away.
It comes as the south-east of England grapples with a new variant of coronavirus that could be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original strain.
Concerns about a rapidly-spreading variant of Covid-19 prompted France to close its borders to the UK. The store could run out of products such as lettuce, salad leaves and cauliflower if the ban continues, Sky News reports. However, there are no concerns over Christmas produts as the needed items are already fully stocked. Hauliers have not been banned from entering the UK but it is feared they will not want to enter the county if they cannot return to France. Sainsbury s told Sky News: All products for the Great British Christmas lunch are already in the country and we have plenty of these.
Sainsbury s warns of fresh fruit and vegetable shortages within days – GTFM gtfm.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gtfm.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Salad leaves and citrus fruits could be missing from supermarket shelves as a result of restrictions on UK-France trade, Sainsbury’s has warned.
The supermarket giant said France’s ban on freight hauliers from the UK could affect food supplies but assured customers that crucial Christmas dinner supplies are available and already in the country.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the ban on accompanied freight is “slightly surprising”.
Thousands of lorries that were meant to travel across the English Channel on Monday have been told to stay away from Kent ports.
HGVs turning up at Dover on Monday morning were greeted with signs saying “French borders closed”, and were being turned away.
Fears of fresh food shortage in UK grow after emergence of coronavirus variant
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Monday Dec 21, 2020
Travellers wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stand at check-in desks at Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport in west London on December 21, 2020, as a string of countries around the world banned travellers arriving from the UK, due to the rapid spread of a new, more-infectious coronavirus strain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was to chair a crisis meeting Monday as a growing number of countries blocked flights from Britain over a new highly infectious coronavirus strain the UK said was out of control . AFP