Lockdown will be extended beyond mid february. And coming up this hour storm orlena hits americas north east coast heavy snow and high winds bring New York City to a near standstill. Hello and welcome if youre watching in the uk or Around The World. Door to door tests are being offered to 80,000 people in england after cases of a new South African Coronavirus Variant were found, with no links to travel. People across eight areas are being asked to take tests, whether they have symptoms or not, after the government said the uk must Come Down Hard on the variant and find every case. Andy moore reports. 10,000 Home Testing Kits delivered to a fire station in woking in surrey. From today, the operation to deliver them door to door will begin. Across england, 80,000 people over the age of 16 will be swabbed to find the true extent of the new variant. Theres no evidence its more deadly, but it may be more contagious. Mobile testing units like this one in london will also be seen in the areas where the new variant has been found. The Health Secretary says its imperative that people in the designated areas stick rigidly to the current guidelines. People should stay at home unless they absolutely have to leave. And anybody anybody even thinking about stretching the rules in those areas must not. The places where the new variant has been discovered are southport, walsall, woking, broxbourne, maidstone, and three parts of london. Its really important that people see it as a way of surveillance, really. Were not unduly concerned that weve got a particular outbreak or. You know, this is covid the same as the covid weve had since last march, so. The four nations have agreed tighter Border Controls that will see travellers from some high risk countries quarantining in hotels at their own expense. But scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said those measures dont go far enough. Today, she will announce new measures which its reported could see all arrivals into scotland face quarantine. Andy moore, bbc news. Ben bland is in woking in surrey where residents are being urged to take part in testing. Take part in testing. 10,000 of these home take part in testing. 10,000 of these home testing take part in testing. 10,000 of these Home Testing Kits take part in testing. 10,000 of these Home Testing Kits will i take part in testing. 10,000 ofi these Home Testing Kits will be distributed in parts of woking, they have been gathering in these tents at the car park at the fire station, 150 volunteers are being briefed because these tests will be taken directly peoples doors. There is a Home Test Guide Booklet and all the paraphernalia we have become so used to, the swab and the vial. People are being asked to test whether or not they had symptoms and the packaging will be collected, brought back and sent for processing. Any tests that come back positive for coronavirus will be examined to check if they are the new South African variance, because in the woking area two cases of the South African Variant have already been identified without links to international travel, so scientists are trying to figure out whether that variant is spreading in the community. The reason they are concerned is because the South African Variant is thought easier to catch and pass on that the original coronavirus, so it somebody has it, although they might not have any more severe symptoms and it might not be any more deadly, anyone with that variant is more likely to pass it on to more people. The other big question is whether the vaccines people are getting protect them against the South African Variant. Early results are encouraging, suggesting that vaccines offer at least some level of protection against the new variant. The key question is whether any other variants come along. Ending on a point of optimism and hope, Scientists Say with the modern types of vaccines, if they need to be tweaked or modified to protect against new variants like the South African one, it can be done within months or possibly as quickly as a matter of weeks. Lets talk to our Political Correspondent damian grammaticas. Does the government think it can pick up all the south africa cases this way . Pick up all the south africa cases this wa . ,. , pick up all the south africa cases thiswa . ,. , pick up all the south africa cases thiswa . ,. , , this way . The idea is that by this tar eted this way . The idea is that by this targeted blanket this way . The idea is that by this targeted Blanket Testing this way . The idea is that by this targeted Blanket Testing within i targeted Blanket Testing within these postcodes, specific Postcode Areas around where new cases have been identified, that they can scoop up been identified, that they can scoop up pretty much the local transmission, the question will be how widespread the spread is around the uk, 11 cases are identified as of yesterday, stretching from the south east in kent to liverpool, a pretty wide geographic spread, unsure how it got that far. That leads to the active discussion about the Border Control measures, how you prevent more cases like this coming in and the issue about whether there should be a Blanket Quarantine for all arrivals. We had a report today in the Times Newspaper that scientists advising the government has warned a couple of weeks ago that it has warned a couple of weeks ago thatitis has warned a couple of weeks ago that it is the only effective way, all an effective way to do this was blanket Border Controls if you wanted to keep out new variants, today we have heard the government saying that its not the full advice they were given at the time and this is what michelle donnellan, the Universities Minister said, basically that it was a partial account, the government account now is what the scientists advised. What sage actually said is they said that completely closing our borders can actually prove ineffective. The best strategy is one that combines quarantining and testing, which is exactly what weve been doing. But throughout the last year, weve been evolving and developing our approach to borders in line with the data and in line with the pandemic and the changes that we have seen, plus the scientific and medical advice. Weve gone from quarantining right the way through to testing as well. We have a robust system in place. This is an argument that has long gone on, some countries of course brought in very strict Quarantine Measures from the very, very early in the pandemic, early last year countries like australia had Hotel Quarantine for all arrivals, that is the sort of thing the labour party says the government should be giving up says the government should be giving up the stage. This is the Shadow Home Secretary nick thomas symonds. There are exceptions for particular people. The government already has an Exception List for its quarantine policy, that is a very good Starting Point for that. But the government needs to act. This was introduced in australia back in march last year. The government has had over a year since the first coronavirus cases were found in the uk, its had enough time, the government should not once again be behind the curve and should act now. Now, what the government says is it is basically preparing its policy on Hotel Quarantines, which will be announced this week, so it is not in place yet but it is believed there is a list of 30 countries from which travel is banned and people coming from those countries would be going into hotels and staying there for ten days. Those details are yet to be made clear, but along that the Government Mixture of measures is a better approach, Government Mixture of measures is a betterapproach, having Government Mixture of measures is a better approach, having the requirement that everyone gets a clear test before they are allowed in the country, but not then closing down all chapel and the exceptions you were hearing with the people working in food supply and the crew on cargo boats, people like that still be able to move around, they are important exceptions. These arguments will continue about what is the best way to protect the vaccine roll out and protect people in this country from the dangers of imported variants all variants that has arrived with resistance to existing vaccines. Has arrived with resistance to existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak to existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak to acas existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak to acas to existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak to acas to enter existing vaccines. Thank you, we will speak to acas to enter in. Existing vaccines. Thank you, we | will speak to acas to enter in any moment, the co chair of the south African Ministerial Advisory Committee. It is being reported that australias cricket to south africa has been postponed because of the pandemic. This is the statement, following extensive Due Diligence it has become clear that travelling from australia to south africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to players, support staff and the community, so the tour of south africa is off for the moment. So what do we know about the South African Variant, and how is the situation looking in south africa itself . Lets speak to professor salim abdool karim, who is co chair of the south African Ministerial Advisory Committee on covid 19. Professor, thank you for talking to us. What is the situation in your country with this variance now . fiur country with this variance now . Our situation now country with this variance now . Oi situation now is we country with this variance now . Ij situation now is we are at the tail and of our second wave, what we had seen is the emergence of this variance that we noticed late in november, we estimated it had grown quite rapidly and by now constitute about 80 to 90 of cases and the virus, and the net effect has been that our second wave grew very rapidly. We had increased infectiousness, increase transmissibility, increased during tra nsmissibility, increased during the transmissibility, increased during the second wave was substantially higher, it puts a lot more pressure on the Health Care System because admissions rates were quite high. We are now over that part, yesterday the president was talking about easing of restrictions because we are inching towards the threshold for those transmission. 50 it are inching towards the threshold for those transmission. For those transmission. So it is more contagious for those transmission. So it is more contagious but for those transmission. So it is more contagious but not for those transmission. So it is i more contagious but not deadlier than the original covid strain. How worried are you . It is probably not appropriate to call this particular virus the South African Variant, just like the way we didnt appreciate President Trump calling at the china virus. That we didnt appreciate President Trump calling at the china virus. Calling at the china virus. That is a really fair calling at the china virus. That is a really fair point. Calling at the china virus. That is a really fair point. In calling at the china virus. That is a really fair point. In reality, a really fair point. In reality, riaht a really fair point. In reality, right now a really fair point. In reality, right now 31 a really fair point. In reality, right now 31 countries a really fair point. In reality, right now 31 countries have l a really fair point. In reality, i right now 31 countries have this variant. When we look at the way in which there is variant has spread in south africa, as you rightly pointed out we had seen faster transmission, but the evidence so far does not suggest it is more pathogenic, causing more disease. It is still early days, we need to see the Mortality Rates at the end of the wave. As far as the biggest concern, the biggest concern is that this particular variant has a mutation of possession for hundred and 84, with the variant, there is a negative to negative charge which was causing the vibe is difficulty attaching has changed to positive and negative, the attachment is better meaning it is more difficult for antibodies to kill this virus, which applies to both National Immunity and vaccine induced immunity. Because people who have previously been infected, there antibodies are not able to kill this virus in about half of the patients, we are beginning to see more and more reinfection. As far as vaccines are concerned, it is deeply concerning we have a Vaccine Result with 89 efficacy in the uk but only 49 efficacy in south africa, that should be worrying to anyone. So we need to keep should be worrying to anyone. So we need to keep developing should be worrying to anyone. So we need to keep developing new need to keep developing new vaccines . , ~. , ~ ,. , vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points. Vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points. The vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points, the first vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points, the first is vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points, the first is that vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points, the first is that we vaccines . Yes, i think it makes two key points, the first is that we are l key points, the first is that we are a globalised world, even though this virus is na countries right now, within a matter of weeks and months it will become more widespread, and so we have to tackle it together. This is not something we will deal with individually, we have to stand together and for ways of selling down the spread of this variance, and it really points to the huge scientific challenge that we have to do better with the next generation of vaccines. Longer lasting amenity so we are not continually chasing our tails make a new vaccines longer lasting immunity. It is heartening to vaccinate an entire population once, giving it repeatedly annually or however long it is required, will be a major challenge, so we want to generate a next set of vaccines that can do better. ~ ,. ,. Next set of vaccines that can do better. , ~ ,. ,. , next set of vaccines that can do better. ~ ,. , better. Thank you very much for your time, we appreciated, better. Thank you very much for your time, we appreciated, professor time, we appreciated, professor salim abdool karim, co chair of the south African Ministerial Advisory Committee on covid 19. The russian dissident Alexei Navalny is being held in a glass cage at a Court In Moscow where its being decided whether his suspended sentence should be converted into an actual prison term. Mr navalny was detained two weeks ago when he returned to russia from germany, where hed spent months recovering from nerve poisoning. Nurse agents poisoning. Nerve agent. Dozens of protesters outside the court were arrested this morning. It comes after thousands of pro navalny activists were arrested at the weekend in the biggest protests in russia since 1991. 0ur moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford is at the Court In Moscow what has been happening this morning . What has been happening this mornin . ,. , what has been happening this mornin . , ,. , what has been happening this mornin. . , ,. ,. , morning . Outside court that has been a Massive Police morning . Outside court that has been a Massive Police operation, morning . Outside court that has been a Massive Police operation, a morning . Outside court that has been a Massive Police operation, a huge. A Massive Police operation, a huge number of riot police in place from early this morning, notjust lining the streets around the courthouse that even in regard to the apartment blocks, we had seen mounted police, police with German Shepherd dogs and a perimeter has been set up around the court itself, Metal Barriers put in place and police have checked the documented everyone going through, if they do not have Core Business they are not allowed near the building, evenjournalists kept back. We had seen a number of people who have come to call for mr navalny� s release being bundled away by riot police taken into police vans, a few moments ago a man stood up vans, a few moments ago a man stood up with a band that said freedom an