The new variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

Dozens of countries have banned travel from the UK on Britain is still set to leave the EU at the end of the transition period without a deal in 11 days time now.

During the day, more than 40 countries banned flights from the UK or they imposed greater restrictions on the French ban on some freight Lorries due to last 48 hours, leading to long queues on the roads of Kent to the Port of Dover.

But the government points out that most freight is getting through, although what's called accompanied freight through Dover, that's about 1/5 of the total is being interrupted.

So far, retailers say their stocks are sufficient.

Talks to find a solution are continuing as our political editor or a Ginsburg reports, now you shall not pass travels blocked instead of trucks flowing, stuffed with Christmas parcels and supplies the motorways, a car park with truckers stuck.

This is my home, my bed.

Gordon's cab will be his bedroom, living room and kitchen for the next couple of days.

What do we dio just let to sit it out.

Hopefully they get their act together.

Let's go home.

Colin got stuck it over but has now made it back to the depot, so I'll be able to get home for Christmas.

But a lot of these people they're sitting on the M 20 are not going to get home for Christmas.

The French border closed late last night.

Dozens of other countries air telling Brits to stay at home part of a recall on ministers here are grappling with a new variant of the coronavirus that's hitting our health, our businesses and trade with the outside world.

Emergency meetings have been taking place all day.

I want to rest.

We in the UK fully understand the anxieties of our friends about Kobe, their anxieties about the new variant.

But it's also true that we believe the risks of transmission by a solitary driver sitting alone in the CAF are really very low.

How confident can you be tonight that you can get the delays and disruption under control on?

You said you just spoke to Emmanuel Macron.

Did he give you any commitment on when he would open the border?

Yes, it was excellent conversation with the French president, he stressed he was keen.

I would say just to sort it out in the next few hours if we can and our teams will be working on it flattered.

But the high risk at home is increasingly clear.

I think it is likely that this will grow in number numbers of the variant across the country on.

I think it's likely, therefore, that measures that need to need to be increased in some places in due course, not not reduced.

France, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republican.

Dozens of others have banned UK travelers, but a decision from President Macron or by opening the border for freight may not come till lunchtime.

Although late night conversations have been taking place from isolation, Macron told his cabinet, probably a problematic mutation of the virus in the U.

K meant exceptional measures were needed to control the border.

The longer the band goes on, the more damage and disruption it does.

The government spent months rehearsing for this kind of emergency, but not because of the pandemic, but because of what might happen with Brexit location off a border control center had already been set up to manage the possible chaos because in 10 days time how we trade with the rest of the continent will change dramatically anyway.

But just because officials have practiced in theory doesn't make the practice any less painful.

This is now a riel emergency.

We can have gnome or over promising and false hope, no more confused messages on slow decision making.

We need strong, clear on decisive leadership.

The disease is accelerating aggressively on, even though it only affect a small proportion of freight.

Other countries reaction to that is creating disruption on.

Before too long, Mawr of the country could be under even tighter restrictions, even despite the terrible.

In times we've all become accustomed to tonight, the government is grappling with a crisis on many fronts.

Finding a way round is not straightforward.

As the disease taxes its grip on the very end of the year approaches, political and practical problems now collide.

Laura Ginsburg, BBC News Well Highways England has confirmed tonight that more than 900 Lorries are currently parked up on the M 20 waiting to get into the port of Dover, have been talks between the U.

K in France today, and they discussed the possibility of testing lorry drivers and travelers crossing the channel from Britain, but no decisions are expected until around tomorrow.

Lunchtime Currently, no Lorries, vans or passengers are being allowed to sail from Dover.

Eurostar rail services have also been suspended on flights.

Have Bean stopped from Dover.

Our transport correspondent Caroline Davis sent this report.

Frustration, confusion, anger.

Not everyone over this morning had heard that Lorries from the UK were not allowed to cross into France.

He wasn't the only angry driver.

Arrest arrived in his van last night.

I have ah ticket.

11 oclock are seven o'clock French say closed.

There's not one day two days ago.

Say close tomorrow 11 oclock say I come in quickly now, but it's not not Make very good.

For days now, we've seen queues of Lorries stretching back from Dover as businesses prepare both for Christmas, but also for the end of the transition period.

But just take a look at over this morning completely empty.

The port of Dover usually handles 9000 glories a day, while goods are allowed in from France.

That number has been substantially reduced today.

It's a pretty significant event.

Yes, so we would certainly be encouraging governments on both sides of the channel to do what it takes to allow these guys to get moving again.

If this goes on for a period of time, this will have an economic impact on both sides of the channel.

While the port stayed closed, many waited.

Divine was heading home to France with her sister.

I'm coming here at two oclock in the night.

Two o'clock.

I'm here.

What hours here?

Why did why did you sleep?

But in development, one car park in Dover began to fill up Well, Dove is just a two minute drive over that way.

But here is where many people have parked up.

Now I've spoken to people who had to spend the night here in their cars and their vans.

You can see their registration plates from across the EU.

Agnes isn't a commercial driver.

He's just trying to get home to his family in Lithuania for Christmas.

My kids waiting for the Christmas presents, you know?

And I'm stuck here in the UK But for now Ignace is stranded in a car park.

Hopefully Goodman will fix.

Fix that situation way will wait.

We can.

We can wait a little bit, but not too much.

You know Christmas is coming overnight.

Part of the motorway down to the coast will be closed as Operation Brock in new road layout is deployed to keep traffic flowing in drizzly and mist covered over.

Many would like to know when the way ahead will be clear.

Caroline Davis, BBC News Now British supermarkets have been quick to try to assure customers that they have enough food in stock for Christmas, though Sainsbury's has one.

That there could be shortages of some fresh produce afterwards if freight routes between France and the UK are not quickly reopened.

The British retail consortium says any prolonged border closure will be a problem in the 10 days before the U.

K ends its transition period with the U.

Our business editor, Simon Jack, has more details.

Scottish Seafood, one of the crown jewels of UK exports highly prized, highly perishable, which makes any delays, reports very bad for businesses like this Aberdeen based exporter today.

I had to phone the customer earlier this morning to say he wasn't gonna get the product.

Uh, therefore, he didn't place another order for goods today, so I was unable to buy on the market today to supply my customer tomorrow, so it has a ruling affair theme.

UK exports £15 billion worth of food and drink to the U annually, a third of which is perishable meat, fish and fresh produce.

We import £35 billion worth again, the majority of which has a short shelf life, so is vulnerable to delay.

So does this mean we are facing food shortages today?

Sainsbury said that while we have all the food we need for Christmas, if nothing changes, we will start to see gaps over the coming days on lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli and Citrus fruit, all of which are imported from the continent at this time of year.

However, retail groups reassured shoppers that the UK larder is full.

Well, we shouldn't be worried because a t this time of year supermarkets there as well stocked as they are at any other point in the year.

So if there is ongoing disruption that will have an impact on limited availability and shelf life, but focused very specifically on fresh food, everything that we need for our Christmas dinner eyes sourced from this country on retailers got plenty of stock in their warehouses.

However, this wholesaler supplies 80,000 food businesses 30% of their products off of the U.

Mushtaq Ahmed said the timing was terrible.

Timing could not be any worse than this.

While we were just about getting ready for the 31st of December Brexit preparation and also with a recent Tier four logged um, situation within London area.

Suddenly a poor closure for 48 hours didn't help the situation at all.

It takes everything out of proportion.

All the preparation, all the measures we put in place has been seriously shaken on.

This is an extra headache to deal with their long, long delays.

While some may find this has disrupted their Brexit preparations, sources close to the government tonight tell the BBC it could be seen in some ways as a dress rehearsal for potential disruption in 10 days time.