Poland is suspending flights from the UK due to the new, more transmissible strain of coronavirus that has been spreading rapidly in southeast England.
“For safety reasons, flights from the UK to Poland will be suspended from midnight between Monday and Tuesday,” tweeted government spokesman Piotr Müller late on Sunday night. “The decision is related to the emergence of a new variant of coronavirus.”
Poland’s health minister, Adam Niedzielski, also announced that he has instructed the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) to provide coronavirus tests to every person who has recently travelled from the UK. He appealed to them to contact local sanitary authorities.
Przed chwilą wydałem dyspozycje @GIS_gov aby od jutra wykonywać testy każdej zgłaszającej się osobie, która w ostatnim czasie podróżowała z Wlk Brytanii. Proszę kontaktować się z lokalnym sanepidem. https://t.co/JT6MCFfbFq
— Adam Niedzielski (@a_niedzielski) December 20, 2020
Poland’s decision follows similar ones made by many other European Union member states in response to concerns about the new strain of the virus. It may be up to 70% more transmissible than the original version, according to British prime minister Boris Johnson.
The new variant was first detected in September, and is now responsible for almost two thirds of new infections in London, according to the British government’s analysis. It has also became prevalent in other regions around the capital.
EU ambassadors are due to hold a crisis meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss travel restrictions, reports Agence France-Presse. As well as flight bans being introduced, Eurotunnel trains from the UK as well as ferries from Dover have also been suspended, reports The Guardian.
Poland suspend all flights from the UK 00:01, Tuesday – prices for last remaining tickets for Monday are sky-rocketing to £400 and above
— Jakub Krupa (@JakubKrupa) December 20, 2020
Poland’s government recently announced tougher lockdown measures that will to be introduced after Christmas. These include compulsory ten-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the country using mass transit between 28 December and 17 January.
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
