But this afternoon, the health secretary revealed that two cases have yet another variants have been detected in the UK This one was first discovered in South Africa tonight.

The government said it was temporarily stopping flights from there from 9 a.m. Tomorrow.

Our health correspondent Sophie Hutchinson reports South Africa, where another new variant of coronavirus is causing alarm.

Scientists say initial evidence suggests it's more infectious than other versions of the virus and doctors air reporting mawr young people who are seriously ill.

This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible on did.

It appears to have mutated further than the new variant that's been discovered in the UK The two people found in the UK with this variant are being quarantined along with close contacts.

The government's brought in immediate travel restrictions with South Africa and says anyone who's been there in the past two weeks must self isolate along with their close contacts and all of this.

On top of the new variant believed to have originated in the UK today, the government released thes graphs showing its rapid growth in different parts of England.

The dark lines of the new variant.

The lighter lines are the pre existing strains, and MPs were told today the UK variant believed to have emerged in Kent has probably spread further.

But the fact they picked up 10 cases with sequencing off of this new variant in a country small Denmark with a relatively though infection rate, I would suggest almost certainly my my view that this virus has been introduced into the great majority of not a lot off European countries of the current time.

Whenever viruses mutate into new strains like the one that spread so fast here in London, there's inevitably concerned about whether vaccines will still work.

The developers behind the coronavirus vaccines are now checking that, but scientists are confident that vaccines will be able to adapt.

One of the beauties really of this novel technology is its simplicity on.

In theory, it's it's adaptability, its agility to respond.

The developers of the fighter by on tech vaccine, which is being used by the NHS believe it will still be effective, reassuring those who were relying on it as a way out of this pandemic.