THE Home Secretary insisted the UK has been “ahead of the curve” at tackling Covid-19, despite having the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe as well as one of the worst economic hits.

Priti Patel spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning amid chaos at ports following news that a variant strain of Covid-19 is understood to be more transmissible than the original.

Several countries have closed their borders to the UK while France put a ban on freight lorries from Britain entering the country – sparking concern over the supply of fresh food over the Christmas period.

It comes a week before the UK is due to leave the EU – with no deal yet agreed. If there is a No-Deal Brexit it is likely that there will be further problems at ports next week.

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Patel attempted to minimise the chaos unfolding, telling people there is a need for a “balanced approach”.

She told listeners: “I’ve just been told that currently on the M20 there are 650 lorries, and there are 873 lorries at the inland site in Manston.”

The Home Secretary added: “The Government has consistently throughout this year been ahead of the curve in terms of proactive measures with regards to coronavirus.”

Throughout the pandemic the UK Government has been criticised for acting too slowly to prevent the virus spreading.

From the outset scientific experts were concerned the UK locked down too late and failed to properly deal with Covid-19 at the border, among other issues.

The UK is now second to only Italy in its total number of Covid-19 deaths. According to the official statistics 67,075 people have died with coronavirus in the UK this year.

READ MORE: Covid-19 variant forces world to shut its doors on the UK to stop spread

On potential food shortages, Patel said: “Twenty percent of our goods are coming through short straits. We’ve always worked throughout the year, despite coronavirus I should say, to keep the short straits going and to keep goods moving, but there is plenty of food in the supermarkets.

“We have fresh produce come in through other routes as well, through air freight and not just through the short straits, so I think we have to just take a balanced approach to this.

“Eighty percent of our goods comes through different ports, as we know, and also through freight and that’s air freight and much fresh produce comes through, as we know, through the airlines, aviation through freight, that is all continuing, so I think it’s important to have a sense of perspective here.”

This morning retail chiefs warned full trade and transport need to be resumed across the Channel to avoid disruption to UK supply chains.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said the “borders really need to be running pretty much freely from tomorrow to assure us that there won’t be any disruption”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is a problem potentially directly after Christmas and that is really in fresh produce, so we’re talking here about things like salad, vegetables, fresh fruit, of which the vast majority come from Europe at this time.

“The problem actually is empty lorries, so the empty lorries which are now stuck in Kent, they need to get back to places like Spain to pick up the next consignment of raspberries and strawberries and they need to get back within the next day or so, otherwise we will see disruption.”

He added: “As long as it can be cleared today, there’ll be minimal impact for consumers – remember the shops are shut on Christmas Day which takes one day of buying out of the equation, but those lorries that are stuck in Kent, they do need to get back within the next day.”