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Boris Johnson is speaking with his cabinet this noon amid warnings from scientists about the new strain of COVID-19 and the spike in infections.
The Prime Minister is currently organizing 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.
Mr Johnson said on Friday he was hopeful England would not need to do a third lockdown after Christmas, which several experts say is possible.
However, he held an unscheduled meeting late at night the same day to discuss whether to take action more quickly.
Reports in The Telegraph and The Sun suggest this could include travel restrictions imposed on the South East and London. The government has yet to release a response to the reports.
Government advisers have warned ministers that they believe the new variant of COVID-19 is spreading faster than previous strains and that easing public attitudes may outweigh the benefits of the vaccination rollout in the coming years. months, Sky News understood.
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 tweeted: “The new strain of COVID-19 is worrying and real cause for concern and more caution. Research is ongoing to understand more, but urgent action is essential now. There is no There’s no part of the UK and the world that shouldn’t be affected. As in many countries, the situation is fragile. “
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.”
It is understood that government science advisers see no evidence that the new strain causes more serious disease or is resistant to current vaccines.
However, there are fears that the announcement of effective vaccines in recent weeks has had a negative impact on compliance with rules, including self-isolation requirements.
The SAGE advisory group is expected to meet on Monday to develop a series of recommendations on how the level 3 restrictions could be tightened in light of the increased transmissibility of the new strain.
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A member of the scientific advisory committee told Sky News that England’s existing tier system does not appear to be effective in preventing the increase in the number of cases, and that stricter measures will be needed.
Professor John Edmunds said: “I think we’re going to have to look at these measures and maybe tighten them up, we really will. It’s a horrible thing to say but we’re in a pretty difficult position.”
Labor today 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”, in a speech to the nation.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This is an incredibly serious moment and people are concerned. The Prime Minister has refused to take action to limit the spread of the virus over Christmas. offered so far is confusion and indecision. He must now. address the nation to explain what action he will take. “
The identification of the “new variant” of COVID-19[female[feminine – which is believed to be responsible for the faster spread in the southeast – was announced by Secretary of Health Matt Hancock this week.
More than 1,000 cases of the strain have been found, “mainly in the south of England,” Mr Hancock told the House of Commons.
He said the new variant has spread faster than the existing strain of coronavirus and is believed to fuel the “very strong exponential increases” in cases in the Southeast.
But he sought to play down the fears, saying there was currently no evidence the new variant would not respond to COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out across the country.
And, he said, there was “currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious illness.”
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