Health

France delivers tests to stranded drivers; Macron ends quarantine

Madrid Desk, Dec 24 (efe-epa).- A team of French firefighters has arrived in Dover to deliver 10,000 coronavirus tests to help ease the backlog of trucks that have been stranded in southern England since last week after a new strain of the virus was detected.

Meanwhile in France, president Emmanuel Macron has recovered from Covid-19 after spending the last week in quarantine, as doctors in Germany urged people to stay home and in particular avoid contact with elderly people during the Christmas holidays to avoid a third wave of the pandemic in January.

UK

A team of 26 French firefighters has arrived in Dover with 10,000 coronavirus tests for truck drivers who have been stranded for over three days waiting to cross the English Channel, the French ambassador to the United Kingdom, Catherine Colonna, said.

“Neighbours, partners, allies and (yes) friends!! 26 French firemen work together with the British teams in Dover since this morning. They brought 10,000 COVID19 tests,” the ambassador wrote on Twitter.

TheFrench fire department hopes to help ease the backlog of thousands of drivers who have been stranded in the county of Kent (southeast of England) after France closed its borders with the United Kingdom for 48 hours on Sunday after a new, apparently more contagious, strain of the coronavirus was detected late last week.

The British government said Thursday that the ferries crossing the Channel would also be operating on Christmas Day.

The truckers, who are waiting parked on the highway and on a runway at a former airport near Dover, became involved in clashes with the police on Wednesday because of the slow pace at which the Channel crossing has been resumed.

At this time of year, it is estimated that about 10,000 trucks cross every day between Dover and Calais in France to transport fresh food and other goods for the Christmas holidays.

FRANCE

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