BUG SPREADS Indian Covid variant found in 40% of England and is now dominant in 23 areas

 

THE Indian Covid variant has been found in 40 per cent of local authorities in England. It comes as the B.1.617.2 variant is now dominant in 23 areas, data from the Sanger Institute revealed.Health Secretary Matt Hancock said yesterday the variant is now the dominant virus in hotspots such as Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.

Both Sefton and Bedford have been labelled as areas of concern, and figures show the variant accounts for eight in ten cases of hospital admissions. This is also the case in Bolton, Blackburn, Chelmsford and Croydon. The variant is also dominant in several London boroughs - accounting for more than half of all positive test results in Hillingdon, Brent, Camden, Hounslow and Greenwich. Others parts of the country largely testing positive for the mutation include Nottingham, West Lancashire, Oadby and Wigston in Leicester, Stevenage, South Northamptonshire, Broxbourne, Bromley, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Rushmoor and Hart. Surge testing and extended opening hours at jab centres have been enforced in these spots to the help prevent the spread.

The latest Sanger Institute data from May 8 shows that extra measures such as these could be needed in many more areas of the country.

Across the UK there have been 2,323 cases of the variant, four times the 520 recorded ten days prior. Today Boris Johnson vowed to take "very, very draconian action" to stamp out the alarming Covid mutations - but stressed the roadmap remains on track.

He said: "At the moment we see nothing conclusive that we have to deviate from the roadmap". And he suggested a crunch data meeting in a few days time would tell us all more, urging the nation to hold tight.

ON THE UP

He warned the nation to be cautious and vowed: "We're keeping everything under very close observation - we'll know a lot more in a few days' time.

"We're looking very carefully at the data, we're looking at the epidemiology. We're trying to work out what extent the Indian variant may be more transmissible." Indian variant cases are continuing to climb in the UK. On Friday the latest data from the government showed 1,313 cases, and as of yesterday there were 2,323.

Covid-hit Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen have seen 483 cases of the Indian variant and 27 people hospitalised, and Bedford is now on the watchlist as infections rise. Health Secretary Mr Hancock said: "The next biggest case of concern is Bedford where we are surging testing - and I would urge everybody in Bedford to exercise caution and engage in testing where it is available."

He said there are 86 local authorities with five or more cases of the mutation, but did not specify where they were.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) also shows that the most infected parts of the country - are also places where the Indian variant is dominant.

Bolton in Greater Manchester has the highest rate of infections in the country, with 811 new cases in the seven days to May 13 - the equivalent of 282.0 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 133.9 in the seven days to May 6, and it is also the area where cases have increased the most in the last seven days. Addressing MPs yesterday Mr Hancock said some patients in hotspots hospitalised with the Indian variant had refused the jab when offered it.

He urged people to continue to come forward for their vaccines to prevent hospitalisations and deaths. An estimated 64.1 per cent of over-16s in Bolton had received a jab as of May 9, with 33.5 per cent having had both doses.