The capital city will have an almost complete lockdown as it will be put under Tier-3 restrictions, the highest level in England's three-tier system. Under this people will be allowed to meet those they do not live with only in outdoor settings. Hospitality venues have also been directed to shut except for takeaways and deliveries.
ALSO READ| 'Congratulations WORLD!': Trump Makes Mega Announcement As New York Begins Covid Vaccination Drive
"A new variant of coronavirus has been identified in the UK, which may be associated with the fastest spread in the southeast of England," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a report by PTI.
He said in the House of Commons that "swift and decisive action" was needed as the doubling rate of the deadly virus has hit just seven days in many of these areas. He also said that cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.
"We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant but no matter its cause, we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out…We must act now to shift the curve… because when the virus moves quickly, we must move quickly too," said Hancock in the report. He added that mobile testing and community testing are also being expanded.
Earlier this month the UK began Covid -19 vaccination drive. Around 50 hospitals in the country's state-run National Health Service (NHS) begin administering the Covid-19 vaccine to individuals over 80 of age. The first person in the UK to receive the shot is a 90-year-old woman named Margaret Keenan who got the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the mass vaccination programme began.