New COVID-19 Strain ‘Out Of Control’ – UK Govt Cries Out

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said on Sunday that the British government has imposed a more strict Christmas lockdown in London and South-East England, as a new strain in the deadly Coronavirus {COVID-19} disease is “out of control”. COVID-19

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock did warn that the strict mesures might just be in place until the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is fully rolled out.
READ ALSO: COVID:19 UK To Regulate Google, Facebook

“We acted very quickly and decisively,” Hancock told Sky News, justifying the “stay at home” order and closure of non-essential shops affecting around a third of England’s population.

“Unfortunately the new strain was out of control. We have got to get it under control.”

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, Sir Patrick Vallance, attend a news conference on the novel coronavirus {COVID-19}, in London, Britain March 3, 2020. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that millions must cancel Christmas plans and stay home because the new strain was spreading far more quickly.

Hancock told Sky News that the situation was “deadly serious.”

“It’s going to be very difficult to keep it under control until we have the vaccine rolled out,” he said, adding: “This is what we face over the next couple of months.”

It emerged that scientists first discovered the new variant in a patient in September.

Coronavirus Covid-19Susan Hopkins of Public Health England told Sky News that the agency notified the government on Friday when modelling revealed the full seriousness of the new strain.

She confirmed the figure given by Johnson that the new virus strain could be 70 per cent more transmissible while saying this was an initial figure.

“I think 70 per cent looks like a good number to land on at the moment,” she said.

Photo Credit: Getty

Leave a Reply