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London (CNN) – London will return to strict lockdown this week after coronavirus cases soared in the British capital, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Monday.
Hancock said London will move from “high alert” level 2 local restrictions to “very high” level 3 on Wednesday at 12:00 am, along with nearby areas in south and west Essex and south Hertfordshire.
Under the highest level of restriction, all entertainment venues, including pubs, cafes and restaurants, will close, except for take-out and home delivery.
People should avoid traveling outside of their area and reduce the number of transfers they make whenever possible.
“In the last three weeks we have seen very sharp exponential increases in the virus in London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire,” said the health secretary.
In response to the increase in cases in London, the UK government is taking drastic measures to contain the spread of the virus.
What changes in London with new confinement
Currently, Londoners cannot meet indoors with people from other homes and now they will not be able to do so in private gardens or in most outdoor venues. Up to six people can meet outdoors in parks, public gardens or sports facilities. Retail stores may remain open.
“We don’t know to what extent this is due to the new variant, but whatever its cause, we need to take swift and decisive action, which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while vaccines are being launched,” Hancock said. Monday.
Hancock said that in some areas, the doubling time for cases is now roughly every seven days, and that rates are increasing not just among schoolchildren, “but across all age groups, including those over 60. ».
Hospitals in London, Essex and Kent are already under pressure and could quickly be “overwhelmed” if no action is taken, he added.
Early measures
Hancock said taking early action that “is not necessarily easy, but it is effective” was vital to preventing more lasting damage, adding that community testing would also be extended.
“I know the steps are tough, but we must not hesitate to enter the final stretch, so that when we look back at this time of crisis, we can all say that we did our part,” he added.
London is joined at Level 3 by regions including much of northern and central England, Kent in the southeast and Bristol in the southwest.
However, UK residents will be able to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ of up to three households between 23 and 27 December. Each home can only be in one bubble and they cannot change.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the decision was “incredibly disappointing for businesses, who have already suffered so much,” but said it was “clear that the virus is accelerating” and lives are at risk.
“It would be a tragedy to lose even more people to this disease when the vaccine is now being rolled out across our city,” he said.
“We know from bitter experience that when cases start to escalate rapidly, it is far better to act early than too late. This is how we can avoid even tighter restrictions, for longer, later. ‘
New variant of the virus
Hancock also said that a new variant of Covid-19 had been identified in south-east England.
UK Medical Director Chris Whitty said Monday it was unclear whether the new variant had contributed to the surge in cases. The virus genetics experts said it was not unexpected for a mutation to emerge, noting that many had already been seen and had not significantly affected the spread or effects of the virus in people.
“I must stress at this point that there is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause severe disease, and the latest clinical advice is that this mutation is highly unlikely to not respond to a vaccine,” Hancock said Monday. .
Whitty, speaking later at a joint press conference, also emphasized that there was no evidence that the new variant was more dangerous than the old one. He also said that coronavirus tests had proven to be effective against the variant.
The British health secretary said similar variants had been identified in other countries in recent months. The UK has notified the World Health Organization of the new variant as expert analysis continues.
“It shows that we must be vigilant and follow the rules, and everyone must take personal responsibility for not spreading this virus,” Hancock said.
Not surprising, experts say
Several experts told the Science Media Center that the existence of the new variant was not surprising and that it is unlikely to derail efforts to combat the pandemic.
“The emergence of different strains of coronavirus … is not a cause for panic or unexpected,” Dr. Zania Stamataki, a viral immunologist at the University of Birmingham, said Monday.
“Mutations will accumulate and give rise to new virus variants, pushed by our own immune system to change or perish.”
“This virus does not mutate as fast as influenza and, although we must keep it under surveillance, it will not be a major undertaking to update new vaccines when necessary in the future.
“Just because there has been a small change in the genetic makeup of the virus, this does not mean that it is more virulent, or that vaccines are not effective,” said Tom Solomon, professor of neurology at the University of Liverpool.
“Our experience with previous similar viruses suggests that the vaccines will be effective despite small genetic changes.”
