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British Health Minister Matt Hancock said the new strain of coronavirus circulating in the country is “out of control.”
The minister thus justified the reintroduction of isolation measures in London and in a part of England, which could take until the implementation of a vaccine, reports AFP.
“Unfortunately the new strain is out of control. We need to regain control and the only way to do that is to restrict social contacts. It will be difficult to keep it under control until a vaccine is implemented.Matt Hancock told Sky News on Sunday.
The new strain of SARS-C0V-2 identified in the UK may spread faster than the already known version and urgent efforts are being made to confirm that it does not cause a higher mortality rate, Chris Whitty, head of services, said on Saturday. doctors. England.
The World Health Organization has been warned of the spread of “up to 70%” of the new strain of coronavirus, according to British health authorities.
Tighter restrictions in the UK
The new strain of coronavirus discovered in England is alerting the entire continent. The governments of The Hague, Brussels, Vienna and Rome have closed their borders to the British due to the highly contagious new strain of coronavirus.
France, Germany and Ireland intend to do the same. The steep rise in the infection rate in England has led to draconian restrictions. Those affected are allowed to leave the house only in exceptional situations, and it is not possible to speak of large Christmas tables, with many people around.
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister: “I must tell you with all my heart that we cannot celebrate Christmas as we plan. I deeply regret these changes, but when the virus changes its attacking tactics, we too must adjust our defenses. As prime minister, I honestly have no other choice. information received about this mutation, especially about the transmission speed, cannot be ignored. “
The new restrictions are not only the harshest applied to date in the Kingdom, but they took effect immediately, starting at midnight. 16 million Britons, including residents of the capital, have entered the high-risk zone.
Non-essential shops and services have been closed, and leisure and entertainment activities are also prohibited outdoors. Not everyone in the high-risk area can meet with people outside the little family at Christmas. In the rest of the country, restrictions allow the reunion of a maximum of three families, but only on Christmas Day, not 5 days as promised by the initial government.
Matt Hancock, British Health Minister: “It is more important that you never act responsibly. Limit interactions as much as possible because it is very serious!”
Rules to prevent congestion have caused congestion at train stations, shops, and streets. Thousands of Londoners wanted to leave the capital before midnight. Trains to the province left late due to chaos at the stations. The Health Minister called the exodus “irresponsible.”
Matt Hancock, British Health Minister: “One of the reasons we have imposed drastic restrictions on trafficking is so as not to spread this new strain to the rest of the country.“
The new strain of the virus is also likely to be present in other countries, according to the British Government’s Scientific Council.
