The coronavirus has mutated many times since it first emerged in China in 2019, according to pathologists. On Friday, South Africa reported that it had identified a type that said there was a new wave of infection. Scientists say it is different from the one known in Britain.
Most of these types are not significant or widespread. But as the infection progresses – and possibly, as the immune system develops, so does the pressure for pathogenesis. Some new types of the virus may be more transmissible than previous versions or lead to more serious illness.
For months, Mr. Johnson has struggled to balance his response to the virus with pressure not to hurt the economy further. At times, he has outpaced other European leaders in imposing sanctions. In other moments, he appeared to resist the advice of his government’s scientific advisers.
There were 27,052 new cases and 534 deaths in Britain on Saturday. Europe has the highest epidemic mortality rate in the country. Mr Johnson pointed to a vaccine rollout, which the British approved and began operating ahead of other Western countries as a ray of hope. He said 350,000 people in the country received the first dose of the Pfizer-Bioentech vaccine, a two-shot regiment.
But the lockdown has become politically strained as the economy has weakened. When the government placed Manchester, Liverpool and other northern cities where the incidence of infection was higher, at a more restrictive level, local officials complained that they were being unfairly targeted. As they noted, life in London remained largely the same.
Last week, amid signs that London was becoming a new hot spot, Mr Johnson placed the capital and most of the southeast in Tier 3, the highest level of sanctions. But, he kept his promise of Christmas recovery from December 23rd to December 27th, as well as urging people to keep family gatherings short and small.
