Ukraine will not yet suspend flights from the United Kingdom over reports on cases where a new mutant coronavirus (COVID-19) strain was identified.
This was announced by Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii on Facebook on December 21.
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He explained why the authorities had made such a decision.
"We have a visa regime with the UK, which already limits the number of passengers between our countries. Now flights are operated mainly to bring Ukrainian students from abroad back home for Christmas holidays," Kryklii said.
The authorities will be monitoring the situation with the coronavirus in the UK and could reverse the decision if necessary.
The president's office predicted earlier that flights from the UK might be suspended.
Background
- On December 14, UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matthew Hancock said that a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus had been identified in the country. It is more transmissible than others in circulation.
- On December 15, the danger of the new COVID-19 strain was assessed by the World Health Organization.
- On December 20, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted that the new virus could be 70% more infectious.
- After that, a number of countries decided to restrict transport services with Britain.
- Meanwhile, it became known that the new strain appeared in the UK way back in September and began to actively spread since the middle of November.
