Europe on High Alert After U.K. Identifies<br />More Contagious Strain of COVID-19.<br />On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced<br />tighter Tier 4 COVID-19 restrictions in the U.K. .<br />According to Johnson, the latest lockdown<br />is due to a surge in COVID-19 cases caused<br />by a newly identified strain of the virus. .<br />Johnson said the new strain may “spread<br />more easily” and be “up to 70 percent” more<br />contagious than previous strains.<br />The spread is being driven by the new variant<br />of the virus … This is now spreading very fast …<br />It is with a very heavy heart that I say we cannot<br />continue with Christmas as planned, Boris Johnson, via 'Complex'.<br />Johnson also stressed that “there’s no evidence”<br />that the newly identified strain is “more lethal” or<br />that the vaccine is less effective against it. .<br />According to CNN, the Republic of Ireland<br />and France have suspended travel to and<br />from the U.K. for the next 48 hours.<br />Bulgaria and the Netherlands have banned<br />travel from the U.K. until January 2021. .<br />Other countries that have<br />temporarily suspended travel<br />from the U.K. are Austria, Italy,<br />Romania and Belgium.
