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Mr Whitty said that London had already informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of the findings.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that researchers in southern England had identified a “new strain” that could lead to a more rapid spread of the infection.
There has been an increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in the UK this month, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to attend a press conference on Saturday afternoon to discuss the situation.
It is reported that as Christmas approaches, the Prime Minister may announce new travel restrictions in the London and South East England region.
“Due to the rapid spread of the new variety, preliminary model data, and the rapid increase in morbidity in the southeast, [Vyriausybei patarianti ekspertų grupė] it assumes the variety can spread faster, ”said Whitty.
“We have informed the WHO,” he said, adding: “There is no evidence to suggest that the new strain is causing increased mortality or that it is affecting vaccines and treatment, although research will be done to make sure.”
Whitty cautioned that, based on newly gathered evidence, “it is more important than ever” that the public do everything possible to reduce transmission of the virus.
On Friday, the UK government reported 28,507 new cases of COVID-19 infection per day. Last week, the number of infections increased 40.9 percent from the previous week.
In the UK, the total number of infected people exceeded 1.98 million.
After Christmas, the quarantine will be reintroduced in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Johnson does not rule out the possibility of quarantine in England, although he said Friday: “We are very hopeful that something similar will be avoided.
“After all, the reality is that the infection rate has increased considerably in recent weeks,” he said.
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