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December 22, 2020

Over 40 Countries Ban U.K. Travel over Fears of New Coronavirus Variant
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The United Kingdom has become increasingly cut off from the outside
world since Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a new variant of
coronavirus sweeping his country was 70% more contagious. More than 40
countries have temporarily suspended some or all travel from the U.K.,
and British grocery stores are warning of food shortages as delivery
trucks pile up on the French side of the Channel Tunnel separating
Britain from the European continent. Some observers have compared the
crisis to what the U.K. may face if a "no-deal" Brexit is allowed to
proceed after the new year. Researchers say it's not clear whether the
new coronavirus variant is in fact more contagious, and that it may have
been detected because of Britain's extensive monitoring system.


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