New Coronavirus Strain In UK ‘Out of Control’; Flights To & From Britain Banned

London: The Boris Johnson government on Sunday warned that a potent new strain of the coronavirus was “out of control.”

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that it’s an “enormous challenge” to keep it under control. “Cases have absolutely rocketed, so we’ve got a long way to go. I think it’ll be very difficult to keep it under control until the vaccine has rolled out,” he added.

The gravity of the situation was made clear by Prime Minister Johnson on Saturday night when he imposed a lockdown on London and southeast England, cancelling Christmas celebrations at short notice.

“The best gift that people could give for Christmas is to stay at home and not spread the virus,” Hancock said.

There was immediate reaction in Europe, with The Netherlands, Italy and Belgium banning flights to and from the UK to ensure that the new coronavirus variant doesn’t entering those countries. The German government was also considering a similar move.