European countries are banning UK passengers with the aim of containing a new mutation, which is 70 per cent more infectious and dodges London.
Viruses are constantly changing. Seasonal flu mutates every year, so scientists were little surprised that COVID-19 variants have been detected since the pandemic began.
But in recent days, concerns have grown over a new strain identified in the UK.
Vaccines should still be effective and the new strain is not believed to be more deadly, but people are increasingly concerned that this mutation appears to be 70 percent more infectious.
It is believed that the new variant, which has been christened VUI-202012/01 (the first variant investigated in December 2020), first occurred in mid-September in the southeast of the country, in the capital of London or the county of Kent.
Susan Hopkins of Public Health England said the agency notified the government on Dec. 18 when the modeling revealed the full severity of the new strain. The United Kingdom presented its findings to the World Health Organization on the same day.
It has since spread rapidly to the southeast, becoming the dominant form of the virus there.
In London, 62 per cent of cases were due to the new variant the week of 9 December. It compares to 28 percent three weeks earlier.
Faced with this rapid development, the UK government has decided to implement stricter blocking measures over the next Christmas period.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pledged to allow people to gather for parties. But amid growing criticism and on the advice of their scientific advisers, many Britons are now banned from mixing homes until at least the end of December, when the new measures will be reviewed.
Patrick Vallance, the UK’s leading scientific adviser, said the new variant could be in other countries as well, but could have started in the UK.
The Netherlands and Belgium reacted quickly, banning UK travelers with the aim of stopping the spread of the new strain.
Dutch authorities said they had found at least one case of the new strain and flights carrying passengers from the UK have been banned until 1 January. Belgium suspends arrivals of flights and trains from the UK for at least 24 hours, according to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. who spoke to the Belgian television channel VRT.
According to UL chief medical officer Chris Whitty, current swab tests are able to identify the new variant.
Scientists say the new strain contains 23 changes, many associated with alterations in a protein caused by the virus.
UK Health Minister Matt Hancock has suggested the new blockade measures could remain in place for some time.
“Given the speed with which this new variant is spreading, it will be very difficult to keep it under control until we have the vaccine,” Hancock said.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter that mutant strain cases were lower in Scotland “than the rest of the UK”, but warned that “preventive action may be needed to stop the strain-taking spreads faster
To date, more than 67,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the UK, making it one of the most affected in Europe along with Italy.