LONDON — Eurostar trains between London, Brussels and Amsterdam are being canceled from Monday, after the Belgian authorities introduced that borders with the U.Ok will shut at midnight Sunday.
The high-speed prepare operator stated Sunday that trains proceed to function on the London to Paris route.
The Belgian authorities has stated it would assessment the place in 24 hours. Eurostar stated they’re awaiting additional particulars from related governments on how journey restrictions will probably be enforced.
European nations together with the Netherlands, Austria and Italy stated Sunday they might halt flights from the U.Ok., hours after Britain’s authorities imposed robust new coronavirus restrictions on giant areas of southern England to curb what officers described as a fast-moving new pressure of the virus.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— European countries halt U.K. flights, fearing the brand new coronavirus variant.
— Asia Today: Outbreak grows in Sydney’s seashore suburbs; Thais line up for assessments.
— A surge of ‘new poor’ linked to closed restaurants and hotels are struggling amid Italy’s outbreak.
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Observe AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
ROME — Italy’s international minister introduced Sunday that Italy is suspending flights from Britain “to guard Italians” from the brand new coronavirus variant.
Luigi Di Maio tweeted that the federal government was making ready a measure that will block flights. It wasn’t instantly clear when it will it will take impact.
Italian media experiences point out about two dozen flights are scheduled to reach in Italy on Sunday, most within the northern area of Lombardy but in addition in Veneto and Lazio, which embody Venice and Rome, respectively.
Greater than 327,000 Italian residents are registered as residing in Britain, with the unofficial whole reaching as many as 700,000. Sunday is the final day that Italians can journey from one area to a different earlier than the Christmas holidays, resulting from a brand new partial lockdown imposed by the federal government to forestall a brand new surge in infections.
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BANGKOK — Hundreds of individuals lined up for coronavirus assessments in a province close to Bangkok on Sunday, as Thai authorities scrambled to include an outbreak that has contaminated practically 700 individuals.
Strains of primarily migrant staff stretched for round 100 meters in a single location alone in Mahachai in Samut Sakhon province, as well being officers in cellular models methodically took nasal swabs.
There have been three areas in whole within the space. Close by, razor wire and police guards blocked entry to considered one of Thailand’s largest seafood markets and its related housing complicated, the epicenter of the brand new cluster.
Thailand’s Illness Management Division stated Sunday that they discovered 141 extra instances linked to the market outbreak. On Saturday, the division reported 548 instances, Thailand’s largest day by day spike.
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PRAGUE — The Czech Republic is imposing restrictions on travels from Britain following a discovery of a brand new, allegedly extremely contagious pressure of coronavirus in southern England.
The Czech Well being Ministry says that given the chance linked to the brand new variant that was confirmed in Britain all individuals arriving within the nation who spent a minimum of 24 hours on British territory in final two weeks need to isolate.
The ministry says they’ve to remain remoted for 10 days until they’re examined adverse by a PCR check 5 to seven days into their self-isolation.
It says it measure whose objective is to extend public security turns into efficient on Sunday.
Belgium and the Netherlands began banning flights from the U.Ok. in response to harder measures imposed in London and surrounding areas on Saturday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Germany, The Czech Republic’s neighbor, is contemplating doing the identical.
Johnson stated a fast-moving new variant of the virus that’s 70% extra transmissible than present strains seems to be driving the fast unfold of recent infections in London and southern England.
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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’ minister for planning who additionally heads the nationwide physique for management of Coronavirus examined constructive and went in isolation at residence as Federal authorities experiences one other 80 new deaths and 3297 instances of COVID-19 throughout final 24 hours Sunday.
Asad Umar on Saturday introduced his isolation due to the virus. Umar appealed fellow countrymen to stick precautionary measures of bodily distancing and sporting of face masks at on a regular basis when in public or individuals’s gathering. However it’s being noticed that folks on this nation of twenty-two million not often comply with the principles to keep away from COVID-19.
Authorities proceed partly or full locked down in lots of neighbourhoods throughout the nation. With new deaths the nation’s tally reached to 9330 whereas variety of affected individuals is now 457288. Pakistan is prone to get vaccine by finish of February and can begin vaccination in March giving precedence to frontline well being staff and aged individuals.
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BERLIN — Germany is contemplating limiting flights from Britain to ensure that a brand new, allegedly extremely contagious pressure of coronavirus that’s sweeping throughout southern England doesn’t spill over to Germany, the dpa information company reported Sunday.
A high-ranking German authorities official advised dpa that restrictions on flights from Britain are a “severe choice.”
Belgium and the Netherlands began banning flights from the U.Ok. in response to harder measures imposed in London and surrounding areas on Saturday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson stated a fast-moving new variant of the virus that’s 70% extra transmissible than present strains seems to be driving the fast unfold of recent infections in London and southern England.
The German authorities, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is in shut contact with its European neighbors on creating scenario, dpa reported.
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BRUSSELS — Belgium has joined the Netherlands in banning flights from the U.Ok. and in addition banned rail connections in an try and ensure that a brand new pressure of coronavirus that’s sweeping throughout southern England doesn’t spill over on its territory.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Sunday stated he was issuing the order for twenty-four hours beginning at midnight “out of precaution.”
“There are an amazing many questions on this new mutation and if it’s not already on the mainland,” he stated. He hoped to have extra readability as of Tuesday.
The Netherlands is banning flights from the U.Ok. for a minimum of the remainder of the 12 months.
Each Belgium and the Netherlands have been reacting to harder measures imposed in London and surrounding areas on Saturday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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AMSTERDAM — The Netherlands is banning flights from the U.Ok. for a minimum of the remainder of the 12 months in an try and ensure that a brand new pressure of coronavirus that’s sweeping throughout southern England doesn’t attain its shores.
The ban got here into impact Sunday morning and the federal government stated it was reacting to harder measures imposed in London and surrounding areas on Saturday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Netherlands stated it would assess “with different European Union nations the probabilities to include the import of the virus from the UK.”
Johnson stated a fast-moving new variant of the virus that’s 70% extra transmissible than present strains seems to be driving the fast unfold of recent infections in London and southern England.
“There’s no proof to recommend it’s extra deadly or causes extra extreme sickness,” the prime minister confused, or that vaccines will probably be much less efficient towards it.
The Dutch authorities is already strongly advising its residents to not journey until completely essential.
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JERUSALEM — Israel on Sunday started its coronavirus inoculation drive, aiming to vaccinate some 60,000 individuals a day in a bid to stamp out the sickness that’s as soon as once more surging amongst its inhabitants.
The nation will first immunize well being staff, adopted by the aged, high-risk Israelis and people over 60 years previous. Israel says it has secured adequate doses for a lot of the nation’s 9 million individuals from each Pfizer and Moderna, whose vaccine U.S. authorities authorised this week for emergency use.
With public opinion polls displaying many Israelis are reluctant to obtain pictures instantly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he would set a “private instance” and insisted on being the primary Israeli vaccinated. He obtained the shot Saturday night time.
Netanyahu referred to as it an “thrilling second” that will put Israel on the trail to returning to its regular routines. The nation’s well being minister additionally obtained a vaccine shot.
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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has recorded greater than 1,000 new coronavirus instances for the fifth consecutive day, placing stress on authorities to implement the hardest distancing guidelines that will additional damage the economic system.
The Korea Illness Management and Prevention Company says it’s discovered 1,097 extra instances over the previous 24-hour interval, the very best day by day tally because the pandemic started. That places the nationwide caseload at 49,665, together with 674 deaths.
About 70% of the brand new instances come from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan space, which has been on the heart of a viral resurgence.
The tempo of the unfold has already met authorities circumstances for elevating social distancing guidelines to their highest degree. However officers have been reluctant to maneuver ahead with the measure out of worries for the economic system. The brand new steps could be banning gatherings of greater than 10 individuals and shutting a whole lot of hundreds of non-essential companies.
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SYDNEY — The outbreak in Sydney’s northern seashore suburbs has grown to 70 instances with an extra 30 within the final 24 hours, and authorities say they might by no means have the ability to hint the supply.
Whereas the numbers are rising, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian stated Sunday there hasn’t been proof of large seeding exterior the northern seashores group. A brand new record of instances, nonetheless, reveals the virus had unfold to better Sydney and different components of the state.
The federal government has imposed a lockdown within the space till Wednesday. Residents will solely be permitted to go away their properties for 5 fundamental causes, together with medical care, train, grocery store, work or for compassionate care causes.
State Chief Well being Officer Kerry Chant stated that contact tracers are but to find affected person zero, however an in depth investigation is underway.
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