Boris Johnson to address the nation at 5pm after two new Omicron Covid cases are detected in the UK
and live on Freeview channel 276
Sajid Javid said the UK Health Security Agency had detected cases in Chelmsford, Essex, and in Nottingham.
He said the cases were linked and the two people were self-isolating alongside their households while more tests and contact tracing take place.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe new variant has also been identified in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.
Ten countries are now on the UK's travel red list meaning, from Sunday at 04:00 GMT, all arrivals will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.
On Friday, the UK placed South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini on the list.
sked about potential changes in Covid restrictions, Mr Javid said: "We will do whatever is necessary to protect the progress we have made as a country. We've come a long way since the summer and we keep all of this under review and if we need to take further action, we will."
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.