Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that a new variant of Covid could pose a "substantial risk to public health", as he told MPs the government would be introducing new travel restrictions on effected countries.
Scientists around the globe are worried about the “horrific” number of mutations on the new B.1.1.529 variant.of the virus, which they fear could make it highly transmissible, more deadly and make vaccines less effective.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser of the UKHSA, said the variant had around “30 different mutations that seem relevant – that’s double what we had in Delta (variant)”.
Read more: Greater Manchester's latest covid infection rates
The new mutation has so far been found in South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong
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