London: Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has urged the UK government to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, which is due to expire on December 31, following the French government’s decision to temporarily ban all travel from the UK as a new strain of COVID-19 spreads through southeast England.
The French government announced an initial 48-hour ban on all road, sea, rail, and air travel from the United Kingdom on Sunday following the emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus disease in England.
Following the announcement, Kent Police launched Operation Stack, which uses the county’s roads to accommodate trucks unable to enter the Port of Dover.
“With major disruption at Kent now inevitable, I’m urging the Government to officially seek an extension to the Brexit transition period. Securing our key supply chains and fighting the coronavirus pandemic requires the full and undivided efforts of ministers more than ever before,” Khan said in a statement that was posted on Twitter.
On Sunday, the UK Department of Health and Social Care reported 35,928 new positive tests for COVID-19, a new single-day record for the country.