Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more than 1,000 cases of the new variant had been identified, mainly in south-eastern England.
Earlier this month, the government implemented a three-tiered system of restrictions in England to try to keep a second wave of the virus under control after a month-long national lockdown. More than 40 per cent of citizens were placed in the highest risk category. England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the detection of the new variant was not the reason for the decision to put London in Tier 3 - the reason was the sharp rise in infections.“There are many variants. It just happens that this one has quite a few more mutations than some of the other variants, so that’s the reason why we’ve taken it particularly seriously,” Mr Whitty said during a news conference with Mr Hancock.
There are also additional curbs on socialising in Tier 3, but workplaces and schools are told to remain open.DOWNING STREET