PremiumU.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government is closely monitoring the highly transmissible coronavirus variant that originated in India while proceeding with plans to allow people to mix indoors and travel overseas starting Monday.
It’s not yet known how much more transmissible the strain is, Hancock said in an interview with Sky News. Government medical advisers have said it could be 40% to 50% easier to spread.
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Premium Premium There is a real danger that the final stage of ending pandemic restrictions on June 21 could be delayed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday. The U.K. is speeding up vaccinations, currently available to everyone over 38.
The number of confirmed infections of the B.1.617.2 variant more than doubled in the past week to 1,313 from 520, according to Public Health England. A cluster of cases in the northwestern English towns of Bolton, Blackburn and Darwen has prompted to government to deploy the army to assist in testing and vaccination efforts.
Hancock said he couldn’t rule out local measures to contain outbreaks. He defended the timing of the government’s restrictions on travel from India.
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