An expert has warned that entire streets could be locked down to stop outbreaks of new coronavirus variants.
The number of cases involving new variants are currently "very small" but as lockdown restrictions are loosened the government must be prepared to impose "the most effective measures possible" to keep any outbreaks under control said Dr Jeffrey Barrett.
Dr Barrett also warned there could be a "chance" that new variants of the disease will be “less well neutralised” by existing Covid vaccines.
Dr Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, suggested one of the measures to stop asymptomatic transmission could involve locking down whole streets - reports Mirror Online.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Barrett was asked if locking down entire streets would help to control clusters of cases.
He said: “Well it certainly could, because one of the trickiest parts of this virus overall is, of course, some individuals who are infected don't have symptoms and so they can transmit.
“Trying to use interventions that might stop asymptomatic transmission may well be an important part of keeping outbreaks of these new variants to be as absolutely small as possible."
Because there is a “chance” new variants will be “less well neutralised” by vaccines, “it's really important to be able to try to keep that number as close to zero as possible”, he added.
Dr Barrett said the number of new variants has been kept "very small" under the current lockdown restrictions.
He said: “And as the restrictions are lifted the key thing to watch will be, does that number ever go up sort of week by week, and if so it's really important to deploy the most effective measures possible to contain those outbreaks."
England’s lockdown was partially lifted on Monday, with shops, hairdressers, pavement cafes and pub beer gardens reopening.
Mutant strains of coronavirus are concerning because the established vaccines may be less effective against them.
A total of 600 cases of the South African variant have been detected so far in the UK, an increase of 56 in a week.
Professor Kevin Fenton, London’s regional director of Public Health England (PHE), said: “As we begin the process of unlocking and re-entering society and mixing, even small numbers of variants, when they occur, can have the potential to spread relatively quickly.”
He told the BBC that was why there was a “proactive programme” of screening and testing for new variants, and “where we have found (them), we surge”.
He said: "We need to get ahead of the infection, and not keep following behind it."
