British PM orders new curbs to slow more infectious COVID-19 strain
21 December, 2020
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday (Dec 19) announced a "stay in the home" order for London and southeast England to slow a fresh coronavirus strain that is significantly more infectious.
Early data suggests the new strain could possibly be "up to 70 % more transmissible," Johnson said at a televised briefing.
He ordered new restrictions for London and south-eastern England from Sunday, saying that beneath the new "tier four" rules, "residents in those areas must stay in the home" at least until Dec 30.
The aim of the brand new rules is to slow the spread of the brand new strain to areas where it isn't yet prevalent.
The measures will mean around a third of England's population cannot travel or meet other households for Christmas.
It had been a dramatic step-up after Johnson said the other day that it might be "inhuman" to "cancel Christmas" by banning family gatherings, though he urged persons to have small celebrations.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart I must let you know we can not continue with Christmas as planned," Johnson told the country.
"Alas when the reality change, you should change your approach."
The announcement came as Britain has seen rising cases and hospital admissions this month.
"This virus has removed, it's moving fast, and it's really leading inevitably to a sharp upsurge in hospital admissions," said Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser.
COVID-19 vaccines look like adequate in making an immune response to the variant of the coronavirus.
"We think it (the variant) could be in other countries as well," Vallance told reporters. "It could have started here, we have no idea for sure."
Vallance said in elements of England, including London, the south east and east of England, the brand new variant was becoming the dominant form.
"There is absolutely no evidence it causes a far more severe disease, causes more hospitalisation, causes more trouble compared to the other virus, it basically looks similar."
Non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, bowling alleys, casinos, hairdressers and nail bars will be closed in London and other influenced regions, including Kent, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.
Only one person in one household will be allowed to meet one individual from another household in a public place, outside.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that while there is no current evidence the variant of the coronavirus causes a higher mortality rate or impacted vaccines, urgent work was underway to confirm this.
"We've alerted the World Health Organization and so are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding," Whitty said in a statement.
Britain reported 27,052 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 489 deaths, slightly significantly less than on Friday.
Much of the united states, including London, is currently in the best of a three-tier system of restrictions to curb the pandemic's spread. The Daily Telegraph newspaper said ministers could now announce curbs on travel between southeast England, including the capital, and the rest of the country.
The BBC said these areas would now be located in a new Tier 4, with a tightening of rules for Christmas.
"Failing woefully to act decisively now, means further suffering," Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and an associate of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said on Twitter. "We must keep asking ourselves 'are we doing enough, are we acting quickly enough'."
The opposition Labour Party said the tiering system had didn't curb the virus' spread.
"It's been apparent for some days that the virus is again uncontrollable in parts of the country," said Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's health spokesman.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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