New fast-spreading variant of Covid as Tier 3 looms for London and parts of South East | ITV News

Just two weeks after coming out of a national lockdown, more than half of England will on Wednesday be living under the strictest of the current coronavirus restrictions.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, announced today that after a sharp rise in cases across London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, they must move into tier three.

A review was due on Wednesday, but such was the alarm at the spike in infections, ministers said they had little choice but to act swiftly.

The emergence of a new variant of the virus, which could be behind the rapid spread in southern regions, can only have heightened the need to impose the new restrictions.

Despite that, tonight the Government ordered councils not to close schools early for the holidays.

As for Christmas itself, the message on the relaxation of the rules was: be very, very careful.

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Видео New fast-spreading variant of Covid as Tier 3 looms for London and parts of South East | ITV News канала ITV News