UK to Go Back into Lockdown as New Covid Strain Pops Up

Parts of Britain will go back into lockdown during Christmas after a newly identified strain of Covid-19 proved to spread more quickly than previous strains of the virus.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced a series of stricter coronavirus restrictions, tightening rules around household mixing that were due to be relaxed over Christmas in London and southeast England.

The PM broke the news Saturday that London and the southeast of England, where cases are surging, will go into Tier 4 restrictions, similar to a lockdown, on Sunday.

"The spread is being driven by the new variant of the virus," Johnson said in a hastily called press conference. "It appears to spread more easily and may be up to 70% more transmissible than the earlier strain."

England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned Saturday that a newly identified variant of Covid-19 "can spread more quickly" than previous strains of the virus.

It was only on Wednesday that Boris Johnson was attacking the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, for wanting to "cancel Christmas," before delivering a press conference in which he informed the public that if they wanted to celebrate Christmas with loved ones, on their head be it.

This sudden change of policy just days before Christmas and three days before Johnson's special Christmas rules came into effect is a political minefield for a Prime Minister whose handling of the pandemic has been attacked by all sides.

"This is now spreading very fast," Johnson warned. "It is with a very heavy heart that I say we cannot continue with Christmas as planned." 

Johnson outlined that in areas under the toughest restrictions, there will be no possibility for household mixing over Christmas. In areas under Tier 3, mixing will now be restricted to Christmas Day.

Alert Level 4 restrictions will be brought forward to apply across Wales from midnight, the country's First Minister Mark Drakeford announced Saturday, meaning that "festive bubbles" can be formed only on Christmas Day, PA Media reported. Under Alert Level 4, people must stay at home except for very limited purposes, and must not meet with other households or meet people they do not live with, while many businesses are required to close.

Source: CNN