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Boris Johnson is holding lunchtime talks with his Cabinet amid warnings from scientists about the new strain of COVID-19 and rising infections.
Government advisers have warned ministers that they believe the new variant of COVID-19 is spreading faster than previous strains, and that relaxation in public attitudes runs the risk of offsetting the benefits of launching the vaccine in over the next few months, Sky News understands.
SAGE’s advisory group is expected to convene on Monday to come up with a series of recommendations on how Level 3 restrictions could be strengthened in light of the increased transmissibility of the new strain.
But according to reports from The Telegraph and The Sun, senior ministers met late into the night on Friday to discuss whether more swift action is needed.
Both newspapers suggest that this could include imposing travel restrictions in the South East and London, with a press conference to announce that such measures could arrive on Saturday.
The government has not yet issued a response to the reports.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), warned today that the new strain is “a real cause for concern” and that “acting urgently now is critical.”
Sir Jeremy tweeted on Saturday: “The new strain of COVID-19 is concerning and a real cause for concern and additional caution. Research is underway to understand more, but acting urgently now is critical. There is nowhere in the UK and level. World Cup you should Don’t worry. As in many countries, the situation is fragile. “
He said the “impact of increased interactions during the holiday period is a major concern” amid the new variant and an increase in infections.
Up to three households can be mixed in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland between December 23 and 27, but the limit is two households in Wales.
Sir Jeremy said that while the pace of progress made in vaccines, treatments and diagnostics has been “phenomenal” and should be celebrated, he cautioned against “complacency” and said: “We must be realistic. This pandemic is not over. We are not yet over. changed the basics. “
He added: “We may be entering a less predictable phase.”
It is understood that government scientific advisers see no evidence that the new strain causes more serious disease or is resistant to current vaccines.
However, there are concerns that the announcement of effective vaccines in recent weeks may have had a negative impact on compliance with the rules, including self-isolation requirements.
A member of the scientific advisory panel previously told Sky News that England’s existing tier system did not appear to be effective in preventing an increase in cases, and predicted that stricter measures would be needed.
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Professor John Edmunds said: “I think we are going to have to look at these measures and maybe reinforce them, we really will. It’s a horrible thing to say, but we are in a pretty difficult position.”
Identifying the “new variant” of COVID-19 – believed to be causing the fastest spread in the southeast – was Announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week.
More than 1,000 cases of the strain have been found, “predominantly in southern England,” Hancock told the House of Commons.
He said the new variant had spread faster than the existing strain of coronavirus and it is believed to be fueling the “very steep exponential increases” in cases throughout the Southeast.
But he tried to downplay the fears, saying that there is currently no evidence that the new variant does not respond to the COVID-19 vaccines that are being rolled out across the country.
And, he said, “there is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious illness.”
The health secretary said that the rapid pace of the new spread could mean that this variant will become the most dominant in the entire country.
“The best way to describe it is, imagine a giant oak, and then a small branch that comes off that tree. Then that branch becomes the main trunk and the main artery of that tree,” he explained.
It added that government scientists were studying the new variant at its Porton Down facility.
A spokesman for the prime minister said he could not immediately comment on reports of a possible tightening of emergency restrictions.
Johnson said on Friday that he hoped England would not have to enter a third lockdown after Christmas, as various experts have warned it is possible.
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