Health authorities are investigating BA.2, a lineage of the Omicron variant, after it was found to have caused hundreds of coronavirus cases in England.
Some 426 cases of the new sub-variant have been identified in England, with 146 in London and 97 in the South East, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. This compares with the previous total of 53 cases detected up until 10 January.
Unlike the original Omicron variant, which accounts for the majority of cases in the UK, BA.2 does not have the specific mutation that was used to first track and compare it against Delta last month.
Meanwhile, plans to make vaccination mandatory for NHS staff are reportedly being reviewed over fears that some 70,000 health service staff could be lost as a result.
Sources told the i newspaper that a temporary suspension of the policy was being “actively” looked at within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), following multiple warnings and pleas from hospital trusts.
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