FILE: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves his hotel, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, in New York.
Image Credit: (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
December 20, 2020 - 1:54 PM
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other members of his cabinet are meeting behind closed doors to discuss Canada's response to a new strain of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu revealed the discussions in a message on Twitter this afternoon as a number of European countries closed their borders with the UK because of the new strain, which is allegedly more contagious.
Trudeau's office later confirmed the meeting of the so-called Incident Response Group.
France, Belgium and the Netherlands are among the countries that have imposed travel bans to keep the strain from spreading.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is calling for Ottawa to follow their lead and suspend flights from Britain.
The Trudeau government did not respond to questions from The Canadian Press about whether Canada was considering a travel ban.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2020.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020