A new Covid-19 strain that “could be up to 70% more transmissible” is raging through S.E. England, forcing that part of the country into lockdown, where reported cases have soared 40% in the last week.
“This is early data, and it’s subject to review, but it’s the best that we have at the moment and we have to act on information as we have it because this is now spreading very fast,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the British public, as he announced that “Christmas gatherings can’t go ahead and non-essential shops must close in London and much of southern England” and imposed tighter restrictions on social gatherings in the rest of England.
Britain’s chief medical officer said the mutant strain now accounts for the majority of U.K.’s cases; but, “Our working assumption at the moment, from all of the scientists, is that the vaccine response should be adequate for this virus” strain, and added it doesn’t appear to have a higher hospitalization or death rate.
Now wait for it to jump to the United States, which only needs one plane ride.
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