INTERNATIONAL - NEW HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS SOUTH AFRICAN CORONAVIRUS STRAIN DETECTED IN THE UK

TWO Brits have been diagnosed with another new and "highly concerning coronavirus mutation from South Africa", it emerged today.

Matt Hancock said that any Brits who had been to South Africa in the last two weeks should quarantine immediately.

Mr Hancock said that close contacts of any one who has been to South Africa in the last fortnight should also quarantine.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference this afternoon Mr Hancock said the new strain was more transmissible.

Addressing the nation he said: "Of course the fight against the virus is a global effort and we are constantly vigilant in looking around the world and as part of our surveillance... we have detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK.

"Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa in the last few weeks."

He said The Chief Scientific Advisor and the Chief Medical Officer met their South African counterparts to discuss the new strain.

"This new variant is highly concerning as it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant which is in the UK.

"We are quarantining cases and close contacts of cases in the UK.

"Second, we're placing immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa.

"And thirdly and most importantly, anyone from the UK who has been in South Africa in the past fortnight and anyone who is a close contact of anyone who  has been in South Africa in the past fortnight must quarantine immediately."

Mr Hancock said the government is changing the law to make this immediately enforceable.

During today's press conference he also highlighted that more areas in the UK would move into Tier 4 restriction as of Boxing Day.

Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire will be put into even tighter restrictions as a result of the mutant Covid strain in the UK - which is different from the South African strain.

via - THESUN