Health Secretary Matt Hancock said its was "more important than ever" that people obey coronavirus restrictions during the holiday period after the government imposed new measures to contain a mutant strain of of the virus that's sweeping across southern England.

"This is deadly serious," Hancock said, as a fast-moving new variant of the virus – 70 per cent more transmissible than existing strains – appeared to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.

Read more on this story: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-tier-4-london-christmas-cancelled-lockdown/

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