So, we hear a lot about how the VOC 202012/01 variant (the “British variant”) and 501Y.V2 (the “South African variant”) are more transmissible than the baseline SARS-CoV-2 virus, and there is evidence that this is true.

However, something to keep in mind:

New Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection	UK	South Africa
Jan 16	41,346	13,973
Jan 30	23,275	5,297

So, while these new variants are coming to dominate new infections in both nations, both countries have reduced their number of actual infections dramatically. That isn’t an inconsistency–it just indicates that common-sense public health measures like distancing and mask-wearing actually work fine against the new variants. (There are lots of other factors, like the “post-Christmas surge” in cases abating, of course.)