27% of SW cases are new strain

THE new coronavirus variant has been in the South West for weeks according to new figures – but appears to be spreading slower than in other areas.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned in an announcement on Saturday that the mutated strain may be 70 per cent more infectious.

The Office for National Statistics has released figures for cases with no “S-gene”. It says the dropping of this gene is “a reliable indicator” of the new variant.

The statistics have been broken down by region and suggest 27 per cent of South West cases in the latest week, starting December 9, were the new strain of coronavirus.

Despite the Government’s concern that the variant is more infectious, the South West’s 27 per cent figure is one percentage point lower than it was for the week starting November 25.

It appears not to be the dominant strain in the South West region, but the data suggests it has become dominant in London and the East of England, prompting the move for areas into Tier 4 restrictions, amounting to a virtual lockdown to help prevent its spread.