England's chief medical officer has warned that a newly identified variant of COVID-19 is more contagious than previous strains of the virus.
Professor Chris Whitty says "urgent work" is underway to rule out if the new strain, prevalent in the southeast of England, can cause a higher mortality rate.
WHO has been notified of the new strain.
"There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments although urgent work is underway to confirm this," he said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a news conference Saturday after meeting with his cabinet on the faster spreading strain. With cases surging, Mr Johnson has announced further restrictions.