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England’s chief medical officer has said the UK has informed the World Health Organization that the new variant of the coronavirus may spread more rapidly.
Professor Chris Whitty’s comments came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is holding emergency talks with cabinet ministers to discuss new tougher restrictions.
There are reports that Johnson could order new travel restrictions for the southeast of England in a bid to stem the spread of new tensions to the rest of the country.
Professor Whitty said: “As announced on Monday, the UK has identified a new variant of Covid-19 through genomic surveillance from Public Health England.
“As a result of the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary model data, and rapidly increasing incidence rates in the Southeast, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threat Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now believes that the new strain may spread more quickly.
“We have alerted the World Health Organization and we continue to analyze available data to improve our understanding.
“There is no current evidence to suggest that the new strain causes a higher death rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although work is urgently underway to confirm this.”
“Given this latest development, it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission.”
Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster described the new strain as “very concerning”.
He spoke after participating in a phone call with British Minister Michael Gove and the Prime Ministers of Scotland and Wales.
I just finished a call with the other UK Prime Ministers and CDL Michael Gove on how the UK handles this new strain of covid prevalent in the South East of England.
Very disturbing.
It is important that we all follow the rules to keep the virus under control in Northern Ireland.
– Arlene Foster # We will meet again (@DUPleader) December 19, 2020
Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said “preventive action may be necessary” to stop the spread of the variant strain.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that the situation was on the “razor’s edge” with an increase in infections and a rise in hospital admissions.
Johnson held an unscheduled meeting last night to discuss the latest evidence on the mutant strain amid “growing concern” in Downing Street.
Previously, he refused to rule out the possibility of a third national lockdown for England if infection rates continue to rise, a move he had previously been deeply reluctant to contemplate.
Wales and Northern Ireland have already announced new closures closed after Christmas is over, while the Scottish government has said the option “remains on the table”.
Much of the newer focus is on the south and east of England, where the new variant is believed to be more prevalent.
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