Passengers heading to the departure gates at Heathrow's Terminal 2 on December 22, 2020 in London, England. London and the South East have entered a 'Tier 4' lockdown as a new coronavirus strain is detected in the lead up to Christmas. (Photo by Jose The U.S.
is also keeping watch, with some health officials believing it may be too late to stop the mutated strain of the coronavirus from crossing the Atlantic. "When you see something that is pretty prevalent in a place like the U.K. — there are also mutations that we’re seeing in South Africa — and given the travel throughout the world, I would not be surprised if it is already here," Dr.