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Boris Johnson has been holding talks with his cabinet amid warnings from scientists about the new strain of COVID-19 and increasing infections.
The prime minister arranged a cabinet call and will hold a press conference at 4 pm with England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, Downing Street said.
Sky News understands that the prime minister is expected to announce a new set of measures for London and the South East with those regions at a new Level 4, with more restrictions around Christmas.
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UK could face third lockdown after Christmas
Government advisers have warned ministers who believe the new variant of COVID-19 It spreads faster than previous strains, and that relaxation in public attitudes risks offsetting the benefits of the vaccine launch over the next few months, Sky News understands.
The new variant is believed to be driving the increase in coronavirus cases throughout the southeast.
Professor Whitty said on Saturday that the UK informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that the new variant of the coronavirus may spread more rapidly.
“There is no current evidence to suggest that the new strain causes a higher death rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although work is urgently underway to confirm this,” he said in a statement.
“Given this latest development, it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission.”
It came when the Prime Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said he would preside over a cabinet meeting later. He tweeted: “I attended a call from four countries earlier today to discuss serious concerns about the spread of a new variant of Covid. I will chair a meeting of the Cabinet of the Government of Wales at 2pm today.”
Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that she would hold similar talks with her cabinet after the four-nation talks and that “preventive action may be necessary” to stop the spread of the new strain.
There is concern that the announcement of effective vaccines in recent weeks may have had a negative impact on compliance with the rules, including self-isolation requirements.
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.”
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.”
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The Labor Party asked the prime minister to lay out how he intends to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which he said is “again out of control in some parts of the country.”
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This is an incredibly serious time and people are concerned. The prime minister has refused to take action to limit the spread of the virus over Christmas. All he has offered so far it’s confusion and indecision. “
The NHS in Kent announced yesterday that it would suspend non-urgent hospital procedures, saying it was treating twice as many patients as it had at the peak of the first wave in April.
The move came as the latest official figures showed the R-number for the UK was estimated to have risen to between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the disease is growing again.
Large swathes of the country, around 38 million people, 68% of England’s population, now live under the strictest Level 3 restrictions.
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