lockdown.Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows a rise in cases from 520 to 1,313 this week in the UK.Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at PHE, said: "We need to act collectively and responsibly to ensure that variants do not impact on the progress we have all made to drive down levels of Covid-19 and the increased freedom that brings."The Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) committee held an urgent meeting on Thursday to discuss the variant.The Prime Minister said: "It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it."At the moment there is a very wide range of scientific opinion about what could happen."We want to make sure we take all the prudential, cautious steps now that we could.