UK Tier-4 lockdown will stay 'for months' until widespread vaccine rollout: Hancock

UK’s health secretary Matt Hancock on December 19 said that new Tier 4 restrictions for across London and parts of England will stay for a couple of months, calling new coronavirus variant ‘Sobering’. In an online statement, Hancock said that in order to protect NHS from overburdening, and saving lives, guidelines in place must be hered to with full caution until widespre rollout of vaccines. 

UK’s health minister said in an dress to House of Commons that new strain of coronavirus was referred to WHO after it was detected in at least 60 local authority areas. “It’s increasing rapidly,” he said, ding that this new variant of interest was “growing faster than existing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variant.” While new variant is highly contagious it is t necessarily more fatal and vaccines could still work, Hancock said in his dress. 

“We’ve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in South of England,” health secretary said in a statement released by Downing Street. London, parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, and South Wales have been witnessing “sharp, exponential rises”, Hancock informed, ding that in South of England, though, caselo was increasing at an extremely rapid rate due to new variant. Until vaccine was rolled out, it would be “very difficult” to control this infection rate, he said.

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7-day doubling time

In some parts of England, doubling time of virus infection was 7 days and variant infected all groups including below 60 and school- children. He ded that hospitals across Essex and Kent were alrey witnessing surge in missions from new strain as UK Joint Biosecurity Centre, Public Health England, NHS Test and Trace was reviewing more information. 

According to Hancock, WHO has been investigating virus, and Public Health England was conducting an analysis of virus strain at Porton Down. “We’ve got to be vigilant, and follow rules and everyone needs to take personal responsibility t to spre this virus,” he stressed, indicating need for current Tier-4 restrictions anunced by PM Boris Johnson. 

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