New strain of coronavirus identified in England as London moves to Tier 3

Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants, he said.

A person wearing a face mask passes a Christmas tree at Covent Garden, London, as the capital and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will face Tier 3 restrictions from Wednesday.

A new strain of coronavirus has been identified in southern England as tougher restrictions were imposed in London.

The capital and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will face Tier 3 restrictions from Wednesday following “very sharp, exponential rises” in cases.