SAGE experts will hold emergency meeting over the spread of the Indian variant in UK but No10 plays down fears of a delay to lockdown easing – as Andy Burnham demands vaccines for ALL over-16s in Manchester as mutant cases surge
SAGE experts will hold an emergency meeting today in order to discuss the spread of India s Covid variant -
The Indian strain is now dominant in four local authorities in England, surveillance data show
Hotspots Bolton and neighbouring Blackburn with Darwen are now also seeing infections start to rise
But Public Health England has only launched surge testing in Bolton to root out cases of the strain
Number of Brits getting ill with Covid every day has risen by 65% in a week to 2,800 amid rapid spread of Indian variant but top expert says vaccines have changed the game because they are making the infection mild
ZOE and King s College London experts estimated 2,800 Britons were infected with the virus a day last week
This was up 65 per cent in a week, but they said vaccinated people who caught the virus had a mild infection
It comes as SAGE scientists are called to an emergency meeting because of rising Indian variant cases
Sanger Institute data showed the strain is focused in hotspots Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, although it is also responsible for most cases in Bedford and South Northamptonshire.
Ministers urged to vaccinate over-16s in âhigh-riskâ areas as Bolton sees sharp rise in cases of Indian variant
Greater Manchester is also still trying to persuade government to provide extra money to help people self isolate, as Bolton s rate nearly doubled in a week. There are no signs so far that the lockdown roadmap will be delayed in the town.