24 Dec

The French government announced that it would allow the entry of truck drivers from Britain starting from Wednesday if they test negative for the coronavirus.

The two countries are connected through a tunnel under the Strait of Dover, and many ferries travel between them.

But the detection of the new variant in Britain prompted France to suspend people's entry from the UK, halting movement of goods and leaving thousands of trucks stranded on the British side.

After the French decision to ease the ban, the British government mobilized the military to carry out tests on stranded truck drivers.

The disruption is raising concern in Britain about supplies of products from other European countries.

A firm dealing in goods from Italy says it had expected food products to arrive before Christmas, but delivery will likely be delayed substantially. The firm says 80 percent of its imports are transported by trucks across the Strait of Dover. An official at the firm says the delay may continue beyond the end of the year.

NHK