Germany’s Merkel launches bid to ban all British travellers from EU – The Times

“Germany will attempt today to ban British travellers from the EU regardless of whether or not they have had a vaccine,” said The Times amid Monday’s Asian session.

The news adds that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will push to designate Britain as a “country of concern” because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) Delta variant.

It should, however, be noted that “The plans will be discussed by senior European and national officials on the EU’s integrated political crisis response committee and will be resisted by Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal,” per The Times.

Additionally, “President Macron of France has backed mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated travellers.”

In a reaction to the news, a British Government source, per The Times, said that Merkel looked “increasingly isolated”, adding: “A lot of countries will think it’s their own decision and not one to be decided in Berlin.” Boris Johnson will meet Merkel at Chequers next Friday to attempt to persuade her.

FX implications

Following the news, GBP/USD fades recovery moves around 1.3890, intraday high 1.3896.

Read: GBP/USD Price Analysis: Bulls battle against gravity