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England faces another lockdown as scientists call for stricter measures to be implemented across the country, in line with the other three nations in the UK.
The diffusion of the new variant of COVID-19, which is up to 70% more infectious than the normal strain, has caused alarm around the world.
The government has subdued London and much of the South East strict Level 4 restrictions where the new variant is the most frequent, but they have admitted that it has already spread throughout the country.
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Dr Sarah Jarvis on the new variant of Covid and the potential impact on children:
Epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds, a member of the government’s Sage scientific advisory panel, suggested that stricter lockdown restrictions would be needed to address the new variant of the coronavirus.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “The government has acted quite quickly.
“It now depends on how effective these measures are and how widespread the virus is.
“Unfortunately, it appears that the virus is probably already throughout the country, so I think unfortunately we may have to impose stricter restrictions across the country.”
Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told the Guardian that the country was entering a “critical stage of the pandemic.”
When asked for his opinion on whether another lockdown was necessary, he said: “Personally, I think it is clearer to give a coherent national message because although the levels of risk are different in different parts of the country, they are still there and they are still substantial.
The warnings come a day after the government’s chief science officer Sir Patrick Vallance warned Monday: “It is likely that measures will need to be increased in some places in due time and not reduced.”He added: “The doubling time of this infection with a new variant is quite fast, it is more transmissible, it requires more action to keep it low and that is why Level 4 is important.”
Southeastern England, the most densely populated area in the country, is currently at Level 4, which is close to the total lockdown the nation went through in November.
Other UK nations had already announced another blockade before the government made public the spread of the new variant in south-east England.
Wales entered its third lockdown on Saturday after fears of the new variant forced the government to advance its planned tightening of the rules.
Northern Ireland will enter a four-week lockdown on December 26 and has started advising against all but essential travel between the country and the rest of the UK.
Scotland will place its entire country on Level 4, the highest level of its five-level system on December 26, with all shops, pubs and restaurants closed.
This means that, as of Boxing Day, the only areas of the UK that will not be blocked will be the areas of England that are not currently subject to Tier 4.
When asked if Level 4 measures would be increased, Interior Minister Priti Patel told Sky News: “If the virus continues to spread, we will take stronger measures, because at the end of the day our goal is to save lives and maintain to safe people. “
He said he was not going to pre-empt any changes in the measures before the revision of levels in England on December 30.
The UK has recorded more than 33,000 new coronavirus cases in the past two days, breaking new records and surpassing the peak seen in November before the month-long lockdown in England led to a reduction in numbers.
