Sign up here for our daily coronavirus newsletter on what you need to know and subscribe to our Covid-19 podcast for the latest news and analysis.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, will hold an emergency meeting with his cabinet before addressing the public at 4 pm on Saturday, amid speculation that tougher restrictions will be imposed to curb a rapidly spreading variant of the coronavirus.
Johnson held an unscheduled meeting with government ministers on Friday to discuss how to combat the new strain of the disease, which is currently concentrated in London and the south-east of England. Senior medical director Chris Whitty said the fastest-growing variant was behind rising numbers of cases in this part of the country.
“There is no current evidence to indicate that the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is being done to confirm this,” Whitty said. “Given this latest development, it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission.”
Travel restrictions are among the measures under discussion and could be introduced as early as Saturday, the Telegraph reported, citing unidentified sources. It is also considered forbidden for travelers to travel to London.
On Friday Johnson refused to rule one out third blockade of the UK to control the spread of the virus. Britain would join Italy and Austria to harden the sidewalk during the holiday season, with all three countries facing a rapidly increasing number of cases.