U.K. Tightens Restrictions as Alarm About Virus Variant Grows

“The port is basically overwhelmed,” Mr. Binks said, adding that it lacked the infrastructure to handle the increased shipment volumes as the pandemic and Brexit set off panic buying. “And then the decision from the French on top of it. It’s just unbelievable.”

He said that delivery volumes have been 70 percent higher this month than other months because of increased orders for Christmas and Covid-19 and Brexit stockpiling. In past years, delivery volumes in December have been up 30 percent compared to the rest of the year, he said.

The authorities cautioned that it could take days to clear out the more than 5,000 trucks bound for Europe.

“I think it will take a few days to work our way through,” Robert Jenrick, a government minister, said on Sky News on Wednesday. He also said any drivers who tested positive would be offered a more accurate P.C.R. test, which takes longer to process. If that were also positive, they would be offered hotel accommodation to isolate for 10 days.

Rod McKenzie, the director of policy at Road Haulage Association, which represents the British road transport industry, said probably 8,000 to 10,000 trucks were waiting to cross the border.

“It’s a mammoth task,” he told Sky News.

Some drivers have already spent three nights sleeping in their trucks with limited access to food and toilets and were looking at a fourth on Wednesday. Trucks carrying goods to Britain from continental Europe were allowed to pass through ports this week, but their numbers declined amid fears that the drivers would be stuck once they crossed into Britain.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/world/europe/coronavirus-variant-uk-ports.html