The Telegraph
French hauliers arriving in Britain face Covid tests to fight variants threat
French hauliers arriving in the UK face Covid tests under plans being considered by ministers to combat the spread of virus variants from across the Channel, according to industry sources. The Government plans to use testing sites around Dover – already being used for hauliers leaving the UK – to help minimise any risk of the South African variant in France reaching the UK, the sources have told The Telegraph. It will provide the Government with an immediate alert if the variant turns up in any drivers, as ministers consider whether to put France on the travel ban “red” list, which would require other arrivals from the country to quarantine in hotels. Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure from his scientific advisers to introduce tougher border controls, it was reported on Tuesday night. Data presented to ministers shows the South African and Brazilian variants, which are more resistant to vaccines, now account for 40 per cent of new cases in some parts of France. It came as Mr Johnson brought forward his announcement on the UK’s plans for resuming foreign travel from April 12 to April 5 as he warned that it was still “too early” to say whether overseas holidays will be allowed. The global travel taskforce is expected to set out the criteria for a “traffic light” system to help ministers, officials and scientists determine which countries should be placed on a “green” list with travel corridors or banned on a “red” list. Travel and aviation industry chiefs fear few – if any – countries will be on the “green” list by May 17, the earliest date in the Prime Minister’s roadmap for restarting foreign travel. On Tuesday, he warned rising cases in Europe meant “things certainly look difficult for the time being”. Millions of households in France have been put back into lockdown as the country has been hit by a third wave of coronavirus, partly fuelled by the Kent variant. However, there are also concerns over the South African variant, said to account for up to one in 10 cases in France.