UK Monitoring "Subvariant" Of Coronavirus Delta Strain

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government was keeping a "close eye" on the AY.4.2 variant but said there was no evidence it spreads more easily.

Britain on Tuesday said it was monitoring a subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus, which has been seen in a growing number of cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government was keeping a "close eye" on the AY.4.2 variant but said there was no evidence it spreads more easily.

"As you would expect, we are monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary," he told reporters.

Overall infection rates in Britain remain stubbornly high, despite high rates of vaccination, and on Monday nearly 50,000 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded.