‘Delta variant around 40pc more transmissible’

The Delta variant of COVID-19, or the B1.617.2 variant first identified in India, is around 40 per cent "more transmissible" than the Alpha or so-called Kent variant of concern, making the unlocking plans set for June 21 "more difficult", UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday. The senior Cabinet minister the government was "absolutely open" to delaying the final lifting of England's Covid lockdown on June 21 if necessary. He said the spread of the Delta variant was behind a recent rise in coronavirus infections in the country. However, he pointed out that a majority of those in hospital as a result of the Delta variant had not had a vaccine at all and only a "small minority" had had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, which the minister said reflects the scientific advice that one vaccine is not quite as effective against the Delta variant of concern (VOC) as against the Alpha variant but both doses are just as effective.

Meanwhile, Italian researchers have identified a new coronavirus mutation, whose scientific name is T478K, that has been spreading mostly in Mexico over the past few weeks and has also been found in Europe.

The team, from the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the University of Bologna, found the variant after analysing more than one million SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from the open-access database GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data) until April 27, 2021. T478K was detected in 11,435 samples.

Importantly, China has authorised the emergency use of CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between 3 and 17 years, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong said. "But when the vaccine will be put into (emergency) use, and starting from what age in the group has yet to be decided," he said Sunday.

UK PM Boris Johnson will call on fellow G7 leaders to make concrete commitments to vaccinate the entire world against coronavirus by the end of 2022 at the Leaders' Summit in Cornwall, Downing Street has said. The meeting, starting on Friday is the first between G7 leaders since the pandemic and the UK, as president of the summit has made vaccine supply and support for equitable access, tackling climate change and getting more children into school as central themes of the meeting of the world's leading economies.