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New variant of the virus in England: “Christmas cannot continue as planned”
| Reading time: 2 minutes
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of a “difficult decision”
What: REUTERS
A new variant of crown could be responsible for the dramatic increase in infections in the south of England. A planned relaxation of the confinement during Christmas will no longer apply in various regions.
reUK government health official Chris Whitty has warned of a new variant of the coronavirus that will cause the pathogen to spread faster. Government pandemic advisers believe this new variant is responsible for the dramatic increase in the number in southern England, Whitty said on Saturday.
It was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). But there is no evidence that infections are more often fatal or that the virus reacts differently to vaccines or treatments, Whitty said.
Health Minister Matt Hancock had already mentioned the new variant of the virus on Monday. Whitty said health officials identified them by monitoring the genome.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced stricter measures for various regions of the country. Consequently, London and parts of south-east England will move into a category in the country’s multilevel measurement system. Relaxations that were originally planned during the Christmas period will no longer apply.
Travel to or from the region is prohibited. Johnson said: “As prime minister, it is my job to make tough decisions. (…) We cannot continue with Christmas as planned ”. Therefore, a multi-household gathering is not possible in level four regions.
No choice. “We are sacrificing the opportunity to see our loved ones this Christmas to see them again next year,” Johnson said.
The government originally planned to relax the crown’s restrictions over Christmas. But there are big concerns about such a move.
Also in Meanwhile, South Africa has discovered a new coronavirus mutation. The 501st V2 variant could be behind the rapid spread of the second corona wave in the country, Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said on Friday. According to South African doctors, more young people were infected during the second wave than before. They also suffered more often from a more severe course of Covid-19 lung disease.
