Spain and Portugal have become the latest countries to suspend travel from the UK due to a mutated form of coronavirus which could be up to 70% more transmissible.

Spanish nationals and residents will still be allowed to come home after the ban which comes into force on December 22, the country announced.

It comes after more than 30 countries implemented bans on travel from the UK.

In Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands have all said they will halt flights arriving from the UK while the Czech Republic has imposed stricter quarantine measures for people arriving from Britain.

Turkey and Morocco have also announced they will be suspending air travel from the UK, while the official Saudi Press Agency reports Saudi Arabia is also suspending international flights for one week.

El Salvador is barring entry to anyone who has visited the UK in the preceding 30 days.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said from midnight Sunday, Canada was putting a 72-hour stop on flights from the UK.

Hong Kong and India have also suspended flights from the UK.

Last night, the UK’s freight industry was thrown into chaos as France announced accompanied freight, such as lorries, would be included in their ban and not be allowed to cross the channel.

The ferry terminal at the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel both closed in response.

The French Government said it was working to set up a ‘solid health protocol’ so that travel from the UK could resume, the nation’s Transport Minister has said.

Boris Johnson will address the nation in a press conference this afternoon, having previously done so on Saturday to announce London and parts of the south east would enter a strict tier four lockdown.

He said that previous plans for a relaxation of the rules for five days over Christmas would not be able to go ahead, and instead households would only be able to mix for Christmas Day itself in areas that were not in the harshest lockdown.

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