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Boris Johnson spoke to his cabinet amid warnings from scientists about the new strain of COVID-19 and the spike in infections.
The Prime Minister organized a cabinet call and will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. with England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Science Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance, Downing Street said.
Sky News understands that the Prime Minister is expected to announce a new package of measures for London and the South East, with those regions placed in a new Tier 4, with new restrictions around Christmas.
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UK could face third lockdown after Christmas
Government advisers have warned ministers that they believe the new variant of COVID-19[female[feminine is spreading faster than previous strains, and that the easing of public attitudes may outweigh the benefits of the vaccination rollout in the coming months, Sky News has understood.
The new variant is believed to fuel the increase in coronavirus case in the southeast.
Professor Whitty said on Saturday that the UK has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that the new variant of the coronavirus may spread faster.
“There is no current evidence to suggest that the new strain causes a higher death rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is underway to confirm this,” he said. stated in a statement.
“With this latest development, it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission.”
It happened when the Premier of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said he would chair 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 cabinet meeting @WelshGovernment at 2 p.m. today . “
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that she would hold similar talks with her cabinet after talks in four countries and that “preventive measures may be needed” to stop the spread of the new strain.
There are fears that the announcement of effective vaccines in recent weeks has negatively impacted compliance with rules, including self-isolation requirements.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), today warned that the new strain is “a real cause for concern” and “urgent action is essential” .
He said “the impact of increased interactions over the holiday season is a huge concern” amid the new variant and an increase in infections.
Up to three households can mix 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 in vaccines, treatments and diagnostics was “phenomenal” and should be celebrated, he cautioned against “complacency”, saying: “We have to be realistic . This pandemic is not over. We still have not changed the fundamentals. “
He added: “We may be entering a less predictable phase.”
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Labor has called on the Prime Minister to explain how he intends to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which it says is “out of control again in parts of the country”.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “It 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. has offered so far is confusion and indecision. “
The Kent NHS announced yesterday it was suspending non-emergency hospital procedures, saying it was treating double the number of patients it had at the peak of the first wave in April.
The move comes as the latest official figures have shown the UK’s R-number to be between 1.1 and 1.2 – meaning the disease is on the rise again.
Large swathes of the country – around 38 million people, 68% of England’s population – now live under the most stringent Level 3 restrictions.
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