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Ammon News - A growing number of countries are stepping up restrictions on travel to and from the UK.

It comes after the UK reported a more infectious coronavirus variant
Countries including Germany, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Turkey and Canada are suspending UK flights.

France has closed its border with the UK for 48 hours, with no lorries or ferry passengers able to sail from the port of Dover.

PM Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee later.

European Union member states are due to meet in Brussels to discuss a co-ordinated response on travel bans for Britain.

The easing of Northern Ireland's coronavirus rules over Christmas will be reduced from five days to one.

On Sunday, the number of recorded daily infections in the UK reached an all-time high of 35,928 new cases.

Globally, there have been 77m confirmed cases since the outbreak began, and 1.7m deaths.

The new coronavirus variant which has rapidly spread in parts of southern England has an "unusual number of mutations", according to virologist professor Wendy Barclay.

Prof Barclay, head of infectious disease at Imperial College London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We normally see the viruses differing from one another by one or two changes, but this one has in total 22 all at once.

"That's immediately a sort of a bit of an alarm bell... but biologically it's feasible that the virus could have changed the way it behaves because of those mutations."

She said it was now important to understand whether the vaccines were still effective against the new variant.

The entrance to the Port of Dover has a big sign warns drivers - the French border is closed.

But the message hasn't got through to everyone. A steady stream of lorries and cars have been arriving, only to be promptly turned away.

The port and Eurotunnel shut to traffic heading to France at around 23:00 GMT last night - in what is being described as an unprecedented situation.

One haulier who was stuck in a queue and failed to get on a ferry on time said he turned around and went home.

But that option simply isn't available to foreign drivers. They are facing at least two days stuck in their cabs.

Part of the M20 motorway has been turned into a giant lorry park, as the government pleads with hauliers not to head to Kent.

It's set to be a challenging few day on this side of the Channel.

*BBC