THE South African coronavirus variant is the single biggest threat facing the UK, the Labour leader has said, amid growing calls for the country to tighten its defences against new variants.
Keir Starmer said it was important to “secure our borders” after concerns were raised that the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab may be less effective against the South African variant.
The government admitted on Monday that it had still not signed contracts with any hotel chains to provide quarantine for travellers from hotspot countries, including South Africa and Brazil, who will be required to stay in hotels for 10 days upon arrival in the UK.
Travel is already barred from most of the countries in question.
Yvette Cooper, the chair of the home affairs select committee, also issued an urgent call for tougher measures, and said there were “far too many holes” in the government’s border policy, which permits most new arrivals
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