On this occasion, the ‘South African variant’, which has a strong propagation power, hits …

British Health Minister Matt Hancock announced the British government’s response to the COVID-19 variant at a press conference on the 23rd (local time).[AP=연합뉴스]

Another strain was confirmed in the UK, which went into heavy containment after a new strain of coronavirus infection (Corona 19) with strong transmission power was discovered. Consequently, the British government extended the blockade of the highest (phase 4) applied in London and the south-east of England to the neighboring regions.

According to the British Guardian on the 23rd (local time), British Health Minister Matt Hancock said: “A new strain of virus has been found in the UK” and it is “a very worrying variant”.

The new variant was confirmed to have been brought from South Africa. It was called ‘501.V2’ and, as ‘VUI-202012/01’ recently discovered in the UK, it has stronger spreading power than the existing Corona 19 virus. The South African government announced on the 18th that ‘501.V2’ is leading the expansion of its country.

The UK Public Health Administration found that two British nationals had contracted the virus after contacting travelers from South Africa.

The reason that Minister Hancock is “very concerned” is that the mutation level of the 501.V2 virus is more severe than that of the previously identified strain. “This strain is more likely to spread and appears to have mutated more than recently discovered strains in Britain,” Hancock said.

“It’s really shocking news with the addition of a new emergency,” Laby Gupta, professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Cambridge, said in an interview with The Guardian. He advised the government that “vaccination should be accelerated by focusing on the ‘crown hot spot’ area.”

Earlier, Professor Gupta said that the VUI-202012/01 virus was not enough to neutralize the existing vaccine, but he was concerned that too many mutations would occur. He explained that if more mutations occur in the future, the vaccine may be less effective.

The two viruses have evolved separately in different regions, but they have something in common. He has a mutation called ‘N501YU’. It was analyzed that this mutation makes it easier for the virus to penetrate human cells, which is why it has a high transmission power.

The British government has restricted travel to South Africa and said that anyone who has visited or contacted South Africa in the past 14 days should immediately go into self-isolation.

On the 20th (local time) of central London, which has entered the fourth stage of the blockade, the highest level of restrictions imposed by the British government.[EPA=연합뉴스]

The British government will also intensify the blockade measures in England from the 26th.

The first-tier restrictions, entering phase four, are found in south-east England and neighboring London areas (Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire). Here six million people are ordered “to stay home, except in exceptional circumstances.” The area applied to the second stage was updated to stage 3, and the area from stage 1, excluding the Silli system, was updated to stage 2.

The Guardian said that “around 24 million people, representing 42% of the population of England, are under the fourth level of lockdown, and 25 million people, or 44%, are under the third level.”

However, it is noted that the new restrictions apply from the 26th of the Christmas holiday, and there is a limit.

“While the restrictions are awaited, the tension will spread north and the nation will be in danger,” said Professor Christina Paisel of University College London.

The number of new confirmed cases in the UK on this day was 39,237, a record from the previous day. The number of deaths per day was 733.

“Last week, the number of infected people nationwide increased 57% and the number of hospitalizations was the highest since mid-April,” Hancock said.

Reporter Jeong Eun-hye [email protected]