UK tightens curbs amid worry over new strain

Concerns over a new, more virulent strain of the coronavirus prompted Britain to impose stricter lockdown rules yesterday, while doctors in Hong Kong and South Africa warned that new variants were causing more severe symptoms in those infected.

Medical experts also noted that the new strains could spread more rapidly and made even younger people more susceptible to falling seriously ill.

England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that while there was no current evidence the new variant in Britain caused a higher mortality rate or impacted vaccines, urgent work was under way to confirm this.

Much of Britain is already under the highest tier of restrictions that have shut bars and restaurants.

However, plans to ease these controls for five days over the Christmas holidays to allow three separate households to meet indoors were severely curtailed yesterday.