Health Ministry calls urgent meeting to discuss 'out of control' coronavirus strain in UK

Health Ministry calls urgent meeting of its Joint Monitoring Group on Monday to discuss new, mutated strain of the coronavirus in UK.

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has showed concerns about the emergence of a new, mutated strain of the coronavirus in the UK, it has called for an urgent meeting of its Joint Monitoring Group on Monday (December 21, 2020).

In the meeting, the challenges posed by the new mutated variant of coronavirus and its impact is likely to be discussed.

The concern is emphasised due to the sharp rise in the number of cases of infections in the UK which has led to a stricter Tier-4 lockdown. Also, a number of European countries have banned flights from the UK as the British government warned that the potent new variant of the virus was “out of control”.

“The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) will hold a meeting on Monday morning to discuss the issue of the mutated variant of the coronavirus reported from the UK. WHO’s India representative Dr Roderico H Ofrin, who is also a member of the JMG, is likely to participate in the meeting,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new rules at a briefing on Saturday evening. A new Tier 4 level has been added to the current three-tier lockdown system to try and control the rise in infections caused by the new mutation of the deadly virus. 

"It is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned," Johnson told a news conference. "I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me. It seems that the spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus," Johnson said.

While, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who was the first one to announce the identification of a new variant of coronavirus defended the new 'stay at home' orders. "We acted very quickly and decisively," he said. "Unfortunately the new strain was out of control. We have got to get it under control."

Britain reported 27,052 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 534 deaths.