Full list of 57 UK locations where mutant virus has been found
The new variant of coronavirus is widespread in the South East but has now spread across the country, including to Merseyside
08:03, 23 DEC 2020
A near empty Oxford Street in central London, where people have been advised against all but essential travel after the capital moved into Tier 4 of coronavirus restrictions. PA Photo. Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire (Image: PA)
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Europe’s vaccination fiasco threatens to become the EU s biggest failure
The politicisation by Brussels of Covid vaccines is turning into an economic and political black swan event - with a huge price to pay
23 December 2020 • 3:35pm
The EU’s politicisation of Covid vaccines is turning into an economic and political black swan event. There will be a price to pay as the consequences of this profound failure unfold in 2021, and an even higher price as people start to understand why it happened.
Europe’s double-dip recession will be stretched out for another quarter. Recovery will be delayed until the second half of the year.
New COVID-19 mutation sampled in Lincolnshire
Two samples recorded by December 17
The map showing where samples of the new COVID mutation have been taken nearby. | Image: COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium and microreact.org
At least two samples of a new variant of coronavirus have been taken in Lincolnshire, according to a new study.
As the country waits to see whether the government will implement tougher lockdown measures from Boxing Day, data from the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) has looked at where the new variant, called VUI-202012/01, has been found.
A map compiled by COG-UK shows two samples in Lincolnshire up to December 17 though it notes these are not necessarily the real number of total cases.
Covid spikes across Blackburn, Burnley, and Pendle as Lancashire records 19 further deaths
769 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Lancashire, with spikes of more than 100 in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, and Pendle
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BBC News
By Helen Briggs
image copyrightGetty Images
The rapid spread of coronavirus variants has put the world on alert and triggered a new lockdown in the UK. What are these variants and why are they causing concern?
All viruses naturally mutate over time, and Sars-CoV-2 is no exception.
Since the virus was first identified a year ago, thousands of mutations have arisen.
The vast majority of mutations are passengers and will have little impact, says Dr Lucy van Dorp, an expert in the evolution of pathogens at University College London. They don t change the behaviour of the virus, they are just carried along.