City has highest cases of Indian variant in West
BRISTOL has the highest number of Indian variant cases in the South West.
According to a Covid-19 genomic surveillance map, Bristol has more cases of the variant than all other areas in the region.
Bristol has more cases than Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, as well as most of the East of England and the Midlands.
The map shows the number of cases up to May 28, when Bristol had 32, which is above all other areas of the region combined.
Since then, Public Health England data – published on June 4 – revealed Bristol recorded 59 cases of the variant, known as Delta, and remains the area with the highest number across the South West.
According to the latest weekly data, cases of the variant more than doubled in one week in our city, from 28 to 59. This is by the far the largest increase across the region.
Swindon recorded the secondhighest figure of 39, while South Gloucestershire reported 20, and Wilshire 15.
The majority of other South West local authorities was shown as <5 – which means a figure between five to one – but PHE does not record the exact number.
UK-wide, infections rose by 5,472 on the week before to 13,760.
The most affected areas remain Bolton, where cases have risen by 795 to 2,149, and Blackburn with Darwen which has seen 368 new cases, bringing it to 724 in total.
Meanwhile, South Gloucestershire confirmed 20 cases according to the latest data, and Bath and North East Somerset reported below five so the actual figure has been suppressed.
» Another 65 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the Bristol region in the last 24 hours, according to the latest figures.
The statistics, published by Public Health England yesterday, show the biggest rise was in Bristol where 40 positive lab tests were returned.
This is a significant increase from last Monday’s 13 cases, and Monday, May 24’s 14. South Gloucestershire and North Somerset both recorded 11 new cases each, while Bath and North East Somerset recorded three new positive tests.
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IT is too early to say whether England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions will be lifted on June 21, Matt Hancock told MPs as case rates rose in more areas of the UK than at any point since early January.
The Health Secretary said he was confident that “one day soon freedom will return”, with the latest data suggesting vaccines were protecting people against the Delta variant first identified in India.
But he said a decision on moving to Step 4 of the road map would be delayed as long as possible, with a final announcement to be made next Monday – a week before any changes could come into effect.
Mr Hancock confirmed that over-25s in England will be invited to receive jabs from today as the Delta variant “made the race between the virus and this vaccination effort tighter”.
The variant is thought to be 40% more transmissible than the Alpha variant first seen in Kent which swept across the UK over the winter peak.
But he said the vaccine was breaking the previously “rock solid” link between infections and hospital admissions.
As of June 3, from 12,383 cases of the Delta variant 464 went on to present at emergency care and 126 people were admitted to hospital.
Of those admitted, 83 were unvaccinated, 28 had received one dose and three had received both doses of the vaccine, Mr Hancock said.
“The jabs are working, we have to keep coming forward to get them and that includes vitally that second jab which we know gives better protection against the Delta variant,” the Health Secretary said.
The spread of the Delta variant has seen cases increase in almost all parts of northwest England, London and Scotland. The rise in rates has yet to be mirrored by a steady increase in hospital cases. Latest data shows numbers have climbed slightly, with the seven-day average for patients in hospital reaching 912 on June 3 – the highest since May 26.
Nearly three-quarters of local areas of the UK (283 out of 380) recorded a week-onweek rise in Covid-19 case rates for the seven days to June 2. This is the highest proportion since January 6.
Mr Hancock told MPs: “No one wants our freedoms to be restricted a single day longer than is necessary.
“I know the impact that these restrictions have on the things we love, on our businesses, on our mental health.
“It is still too early to make decisions on Step 4. The road map has always been guided by the data and, as before, we need four weeks between steps to see the latest data and a further week to give notice of our decision. I know that these restrictions have not been easy and with our vaccine programme moving at such pace I’m confident that one day soon freedom will return.”
Downing Street said data emerging over the coming week will be “crucial” in deciding whether England’s legal coronavirus restrictions can end as hoped on June 21.