England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty announced Saturday that a new coronavirus strain was discovered in the UK. Whitty added that this strain of the virus may be spreading more quickly, leading to more cases. 

The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said that this strain of the virus is up to 70 percent more transmissible.

The UK informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of the new strain of the virus.

In response, the WHO said that it is in close contact with the British authorities, as they continue to provide all the data they have on the new type of COVID-19, including the results of analysis and continuous research.

WHO wrote on Twitter, "We’re in close contact with UK Flag of United Kingdom officials on the new COVID-19 virus variant," adding "We’ll update Member States & public as we learn more about the characteristics of this virus variant & any implications."

Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that new COVID-19 restrictions will be imposed across the UK.

The UK has confirmed a total of 2,004,219 coronavirus cases and 67,075 deaths since the start of the pandemic.