Britain faces a crisis over the coming weeks

This country faces a crisis over the next few weeks. Covid cases are rising rapidly in the UK — there were more than 35,000 new cases yesterday, the largest number recorded during the pandemic and almost double the number a week ago. It seems likely that this rapid rise is, in part, a result of the new variation of the virus which does seem to be more transmissible. It is hard not to think that more of the country will be put into Tier 4 restrictions at the next review. It’ll be surprising if England gets through January without another lockdown.

Concern over this new variant of the virus has led to a growing number of countries banning arrivals from the UK. France has done that, including for lorries. This is compounding the problem at the ports and has led to the government to urge hauliers to avoid Kent. The French ban is currently for 48 hours.