LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 01: British Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks during a press briefing at Downing Street on February 1, 2021 in London, England. Around nine million people in the UK have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
Matt Hancock has warned people in postcodes hit by the South Africa coronavirus variant not to "even think about stretching the rules".
The UK has now identified 105 cases of the South Africa variant, 11 of which have no links to international travel.
Health secretary Hancock said at Monday's Downing Street press conference that while there is no evidence the South Africa strain is more deadly, "we need to come down on it hard".
Hancock said the government is "surging" extra testing into the areas where the new variant has been found and going door to door to conduct the tests.
It has been found in the following postcodes in England: W7, N17, CR4, WS2, ME15, EN10, GU21 and PR9.
Asked if tougher restrictions could be imposed in those areas, Hancock rejected this, instead urging people to stay at home "unless they absolutely have to leave" - the same principle as the current national lockdown - and added a warning not to "even think about stretching the rules".
He said: "There is already a national lockdown in place that says you should not travel unless it's absolutely necessary, and that you should stay local.
"We expect people to adhere to that everywhere. but in particular in the postcodes I have set out where people should stay at home unless they absolutely have to leave and anybody - anybody - even thinking about stretching the rules in those areas must not."
Hancock added "further measures are always there" if necessary but insisted the lockdown is "strong" enough.
"Stay home and let's get this new variant totally under control," he said.
Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown