People in areas where community transmission of the South African coronavirus variant has been found should “think again” before they leave the house for reasons even within the rules, a minister has said.
Michelle Donelan told Sky News that residents should abide by restrictions “to the letter” given the UK is at a “perilous” stage in the pandemic.
Asked if the advice to those in 10 postcodes where the cases of the new variant has been found with seemingly no travel links was any different to the national measures, she admitted: “It’s not, we’re all in a lockdown.
“But the message is ‘think again’ just before you go about activities, even for those activities that are within the rules such as essential shopping.
“Do you really need to go for that shopping or have you got enough in? Could you work from home? Could you have that conversation with your employer? It’s about reinforcing the rules that are in place…
“We’re at that final hurdle, but it’s still a very perilous stage of this virus and we’ve got these new variants spreading, so we do have to be extra vigilant and really abide by those rules to the letter of them, and also contemplate every action and activity that we do.”