New strain of Coronavirus identified in London; British capital will face Tier 3 restrictions following rapid increases in cases

A new variant of Coronavirus has been identified in London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire. Following a very sharp and exponential spike in cases, tougher restrictions were imposed in London.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the number of cases linked to the new variant is increasing rapidly and is growing faster than the existing variants. “We’ve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the south of England although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas,” Mr. Hancock said in the House of Commons.

The Health Secretary said that the variant was more likely to cause serious disease and he suggested the vaccine should still be effective. “But it shows we’ve got to be vigilant and follow the rules and everyone needs to take personal responsibility not to spread this virus,” he added.

He said it was important to move the British capital from Tier 2 to Tier 3 to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed. “We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant but no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out,” he added.