Tens of cases of a new "plus" variant of coronavirus have been identified in the UK.
Downing Street has today said the Government and Public Health England are monitoring the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said PHE had already put extra measures in place where the variant had been detected including "enhanced contact tracing, testing, and isolation".
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He said 41 cases of the variant had been identified in the UK.
India's health ministry says studies showed that the variant - also known as AY.1 - spreads more easily, binds more easily to lung cells and is potentially resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus, BBC reports.
The variant is related to the Delta, an existing variant of concern, which was first identified in India last year and is thought to have driven the deadly second wave of infections this summer in India.
As well as the UK, Delta Plus has also been found India, USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China - compared to the original highly contagious Delta strain, which has now spread to 80 countries.
