Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss coronavirus restrictions and the new variant coronavirus.
It is reported that concern is growing as the new covid-19 strain is spreading more rapidly, particularly in parts of London and the South East.
The move comes after reports that the Prime Minister is set to announce a new Tier 4, while cutting back on the planned relaxation of the rules over Christmas.
The chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said: "As a result of the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary modelling data and rapidly rising incidence rates in the South East, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now consider that the new strain can spread more quickly.
"We have alerted the World Health Organisation and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding.
"There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments although urgent work is under way to confirm this.
"Given this latest development it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission."
When will Boris Johnson press conference take place?
After meeting with his cabinet for an emergency meeting , the Prime Minister will later hold a press conference at 4pm.
The chief medical officer Chris Whitty and the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance will also be in attendance, Downing Street has said.
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