From Wednesday, millions of Londoners will be ordered to comply with the UK’s strict corona virus rules as UK officials warn that a “new variant” of the disease could lead to a rapid rise in cases.
Government scientists at the Porton Town Military Research Station are exploring a new variant, which could be linked to the recent rapidly spreading epidemic in the capital, Health Secretary Matt Hankok said.
When he announced strict restrictions on the city of about 9 million people, Hancock said he understood the measures were “tough” but stressed they were “essential” to protect lives and jobs in the long run.
“I know this will disrupt projects, and it will be a very significant blow to affected businesses,” Hancock said. “This action is not only essential to keep people safe, but early action will help prevent more harmful and long-term problems as we have seen.”
Switching from Tier 2 in London and Tier 3 rules in some parts of the south-east of England, pubs, bars and restaurants will be closed, while theaters and museums will be closed to the public, except for catering.
While schools and shops remain open, the move has provoked outrage from hospitality and entertainment industry leaders.
UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nichols said there was “no hard evidence yet” that restaurants and bars were increasing infection rates, while theater producer Cameron McIntosh said the move was “catastrophic” and “reduces panic”.
New variant
More than 1,000 cases of the new variant of the corona virus have been identified, mainly in the southeastern UK, where “numbers are increasing rapidly,” Hancock said.
He told the World Health Organization: “This variant has no chance of causing a more serious disease, and the latest medical advice is that this mutation is unlikely to fail to respond to the vaccine. “
As the corona virus spreads from person to person, it has changed thousands of times. Most of these changes are increasingly not known as functionally significant mutations, although pre-research discussion shows that it may have become more contagious.
The WHO said it was aware of the genetic variation. “The virus develops and changes over time, and we’ve seen different types emerge,” said WHO Managing Director Michael Ryan. The question is whether the mutations in the virus are of “most common” importance in terms of public health.
The WHO is working with a network of international laboratories to determine if this variation is more prevalent around the world.
The move comes just days before the UK is set to offer five-day terms for Christmas in London Tier 3.
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He told lawmakers in Hancock to recommend people to “be careful” about Christmas, especially the elderly, who are more susceptible to the virus.
‘High pressure’
NHS providers representing hospitals welcomed the move to Tier 3. Chris Hobson, chief executive, said hospitals were already seeing “more pressure than expected” this winter as a result of the increase in Govt-19 enrollments.
“It’s a bad situation because winter is catching on,” Hobson said. “It is only right that action be taken now to prevent the spread of the virus to prevent excessive stress in January and February.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the Christmas festival to be closed early and for face masks to be mandatory on crowded shopping streets. He said placing capital in tier 3 would be “incredibly disappointing” for businesses and would require additional financial assistance to affected sectors.
“The worst thing for London’s businesses and our economy will be another full lockout in the new year,” Khan added. “That’s why I urge Londoners to follow Tier 3 rules.”
(The reaction adds to the whole context)