Travel Chaos in UK as Europeans Suspend Flights

The UK plunged into Christmas chaos with police deployed to stop people boarding packed trains, holidays abroad scrapped and Europe banning travel with the country after London went into an emergency lockdown.

In a sudden turnaround, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson canceled plans to allow families to see each other over the festive period as the government warned that a new strain of the coronavirus is "out of control." There were scenes of panic at train stations, with people defying social-distancing rules to get out of the capital before the new rules took effect on Sunday.

More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home after new restrictions came into force Sunday in London and southeast England. The measures ban household mixing in the capital and the southeast, and restrict socializing to just Christmas Day across the rest of England.

France and Germany are considering joining Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium in banning air and train links with the UK, which is in the middle of delicate and critical Brexit negotiations with its partners in the European Union. The talks were expected to reach a breakthrough as soon as this weekend.

"A lot of people are trying to escape before midnight so that they can see their families."

For many Britons, either trying to see relatives or trying to go on a winter vacation, the situation is reminiscent of the last nationwide lockdown and will stoke fears that even with a vaccine the virus is still dangerous, if not as deadly. It is also but the latest U-turn from a government that has been reluctant to impose limits to movement, unless forced. Until Friday, Johnson was adamant that close households would be able to mix over Christmas.

Crowded airports...