Aviation, Oil Industries Showing Symptoms of COVID-19 New Strain

Aviation, Oil Industries Showing Symptoms of COVID-19 New Strain

The airline industry, which had been badly battered by the pandemic, just about saw light at the end of the tunnel courtesy of vaccine approvals and the rollout of vaccination programs in several major economies.

But once again the virus proved that it had a mind of its own. A mutant strand, which is believed to be 70 percent more infectious than the original coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and which had evolved in the southeast of England, forced the UK government to bring 16.4 million people into stricter measures, shutting all non-essential shops and forbidding them to leave their zone of restriction.

 

On Saturday evening immediately after the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had informed the nation of the new restrictions, scenes in London train stations were reminiscent of what had unfolded in Saigon as the last helicopters took off from the roof of the US Embassy. Countries were quick to react, first in Europe and then further afield. By now the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Kuwait and Hong Kong “” just to name a few “” have stopped or are about to stop receiving air passengers from the UK. The Eurostar has also halted operations. Saudi Arabia has taken the only