Health Ministry to discuss grim COVID-19 situation in UK

London : The Union Health Ministry has called an emergency meeting to discuss the sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom, which forced authorities to go into another lockdown and cancel flight services to and from many countries.

The urgent meeting was called soon after the announcement done by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock that the coronavirus situation is "out of control" there.

According to a report by India.com, 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. 

“As far as India is concerned, there is no major change or mutation in the Covid strain yet. We are studying strains of coronavirus very closely in our country. But, yes, we also keep a track of whatever is happening in the world related to the variants of COVID-19 strain,” the report quoted an official. 

Recently, there were reports that a new variant of coronavirus has reached the UK, sharply rising the number of COVID-19 patients in the country.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new rules at a briefing from 10 Downing Street on Saturday evening, which means a planned five-day Christmas bubble of relaxed rules has been cancelled in favour of a new Tier 4 level to the current three-tier lockdown system to try and control the surge in infections being caused by the new mutation of the deadly virus.

"It seems that the spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus," Johnson said.