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Summary
- A new coronavirus mutant that first appeared in September is spreading at a fast pace in the UK.
- European nations have started putting travelling restrictions for the UK due to the concerns regarding the new strain.
- Nonessentials to be closed for two weeks with Tier 4 lockdown restrictions in several parts of the UK.
Viruses show mutation regularly, and researchers have found multiple mutations among different samples of the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Some of the mutants do not have any effect on the spreads of virus or severity of symptoms.
A new variant of coronavirus was first detected in September 2020 in the UK. In November 2020, almost a quarter of COVID-19 cases in London were due to the new variant. The spread has increased further in mid-December.
Some experts say that the new variant has increased transmissibility in terms of the ability of the virus to spread. However, investigations are underway to ascertain how fast the virus spreads.
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Countries start implementing restrictions on UK travellers over new variant concerns
Several European countries have banned flights from the UK, day after Britain’s PM, Boris Johnson, ordered a lockdown in London and surrounding areas, over fears around the new and fast-spreading coronavirus variant.
On 19 December 2020, Mr Johnson stated that a rapidly spreading new variant of the coronavirus appeared to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in southern England and London in recent weeks. The new variant is almost 70% more transmissible than the existing strains of the virus.
However, PM Johnson also added that so far no evidence that suggests that the new strain of the virus causes more severe illness, or the vaccines will be less effective against the variant.
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands announced UK travel restrictions. Other countries are also expected to follow suit as researchers warned that the new coronavirus strain spread more rapidly than the previous one.
Beyond Europe, Israel also stated it is banning flights from Britain, Denmark, and South Africa because the mutation is found in these countries. Moreover, the southeast of the UK would be under Tier 4 lockdown.
Image Source: Shutterstock
Nonessential to be closed for two weeks
With the fast spread of the new strain, all the nonessential shops, including bowling alleys, cinemas, gyms, and hairdressers, will be forced to shut down for two weeks. Moreover, there will be a restriction for people to meet individuals from other households in any outdoor public area.
