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The new mutant strain of Covid-19 is heading north with new cases found in England, health chiefs admitted yesterday.
The government’s top scientific adviser warned that large swaths of the country were headed for tougher Level 4 restrictions.
Travel chaos was expected for a second day as the French truck blockade continues and more than 50 countries canceled flights to the UK amid fears of the new strain.
Chief Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance has hinted that the new level 4 lockdown could be extended, with the new strain of the virus already “everywhere.”
Sir Patrick confirmed that the new Covid-19 strain that is fueling the growth of the virus in London and the South East has spread across the UK.
When asked at a Downing Street press conference about the spread of the new strain, Sir Patrick confirmed that it was already “everywhere”, but not in the numbers seen in London.
He said at the press conference: “It’s not like we can stop this from reaching other places.”
He hinted that more lockdown changes might be necessary to contain the virus.
“Since we are entering a period of inevitable mixing, I think there will be some increases in the numbers in the coming weeks,” he told the press conference.
But Sir Patrick emphasized that while it was more infectious, the strain was no more deadly than previous strains.
He said the new variant will spread across the country, but called on people to “stay local” in an attempt to contain the virus.
When asked about local health directors asking people in Level 4 areas to self-isolate for 10 days, Sir Patrick said they “have to make the decisions they have to make” to ensure they take care of themselves. to the local population.
“The new variant is spread throughout the country,” he said.
“It’s localized in some places, but we know there are cases everywhere, so it’s not like we can prevent this from reaching other places, there are already some there.
“The message has been very clear and, I think I want to reinforce it, is to stay local.”
Sir Patrick Vallance said there will be an increase in Covid cases after an “inevitable mixing period” around Christmas.
He said: “Nervtag (New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threat Group) met again today, a lot of work was done over the weekend trying to bring in more groups to analyze the problem and the new data that is available.
“That reinforced the view on Friday that this is being transmitted more easily, that it does not alter, as far as we can see, the course of the disease, and the work, as I said, in terms of the immune response is ongoing but not there is reason to suspect at this point that there is a change there.
“That data will come out and the minutes from Nervtag will be published, but the conclusion was that the experts have great confidence in the fact that this is being transmitted more easily.
“That again reinforces the point that it’s important to get ahead of this and make sure the tier system is adequate to stop things, and not look at it and react in hindsight.
“As we are entering a period of inevitable mixing, I think there will be some increases in the numbers over the next few weeks.”
A member of the public whether rolling out the vaccine more widely in areas with the new variant would be considered, Johnson said that was not the plan currently.
Johnson said the Joint Committee on Immunization and Vaccination is sticking to its priority list.
He said: “What they want to do is get so many people out of the vaccine path that could die from Covid.
“I think it’s the most sensible thing to do, so we focus on the age group over 80, those who are particularly vulnerable and are in residences.”
It came as crisis talks are underway to prevent the UK from being cut off from the continent over fears about the spread of the new variant of the coronavirus.
French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebarri said he hoped the European Union states would agree on a protocol “to ensure that movement from the UK can resume” after his country banned the crossing of passengers and goods through the English Channel.
The closure of inter-channel routes until at least Wednesday has alarmed businesses in the run-up to Christmas and with further complication from the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.
The government said a further 215 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday, bringing the UK total to 67,616.
He said that, as of 9am on Sunday, there had been another 33,364 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK.
It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 2,073,511.
Sainsbury’s warned that the disruption could affect supplies of lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflower, broccoli and citrus fruits, all of which are imported from the mainland at this time of year.
Mr. Djebarri said there would be a “strong health protocol” to “protect our citizens and fellow citizens” while allowing the movement to resume.
Measures being considered in France include the possibility of testing French citizens to allow them to return from the UK.
Johnson faced demands to call in Parliament to address the crisis, which follows the introduction of a new level 4 lockdown in London and much of south-east England.
Concerns about the spread of the new variant also led to the drastic reduction of Christmas plans, with mixing prohibited at Level 4 and the three-home arrangement allowed only for Christmas Day in the rest of England.
Cases of the new variant have been reported in Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Gibraltar and Australia.
(Image: REUTERS)
The radical change in Christmas plans and the imposition of the Level 4 lockdown on almost a third of the population of England has led to pressure on the Prime Minister from his own banks.
Former Conservative Minister Sir Desmond Swayne questioned the timing of the government announcements.
“They’ve been watching it since September, and how convenient when Parliament went into recess on Thursday, they were suddenly able to produce this revelation,” he told the Today show.
“Let’s see the evidence then, let’s get Parliament to come back and show us and convince us, let’s clarify.”
Authorities imposing travel restrictions on UK passengers include: France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, El Salvador, Turkey, Canada and Hong Kong.
They reacted after Johnson announced that the new variant was up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain, while Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted that it was “out of control” and that the Level 4 lockdown might have to remain in place. its place for months.
Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said vaccination alone will not be enough to bring the virus circulating in the community to “very low levels”, so the restrictions “will be necessary “.
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