Cases of Brazilian virus strain found in UK
HEALTH OFFICIALS have identified the first UK cases of the Manaus variant of coronavirus, a new strain that may spread more rapidly and respond less well to existing vaccines, as the Government pledged to ramp up its vaccination programme.
Public Health England (PHE) said yesterday that six cases of the concerning P.1 variant first detected in the Brazilian city have been confirmed in Britain, three in England and three in Scotland.
Two were confirmed in South Gloucestershire but the third English case has not been located and could be anywhere in the nation, as PHE says the person did not complete their test registration card so their contact details are unavailable.
Anyone who took a test on February 12 or 13 and has not received a result, or has an uncompleted test registration card, is being asked to come forward immediately.
Home Affairs Committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper warned that the detection of the Manaus variant in the UK “shows the weaknesses in the Government’s Covid border measures”.
The MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford said: “We need to know urgently how these cases have arrived in the country and why they weren’t picked up on arrival so that lessons can be quickly learnt and policies changed to protect the vaccine programme from further cases arriving.”
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, inset, will set out plans in the Budget on Wednesday for a £1.65bn boost to the UK’s vaccination programme to help it meet the target of offering a dose to every adult by July 31. Mr Sunak will detail the plan to fund the programme, which is a key factor in successfully easing lockdown restrictions.
He will also divert £22m to fund a “world first” trial to test if different vaccines can be used together, or if a third dose is effective, the Treasury said.
NHS England has begun inviting 60 to 63-year-olds to book jabs, with confirmation yesterday that more than 20m people in the UK have now been given their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Mr Sunak said it is “essential we maintain this momentum” in the fight against coronavirus.
The Government said a further 144 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of 9am yesterday, bringing the UK total to 122,849. There had been a further 6,035 lab-confirmed cases, bringing the total to 4,176,554.
POLICE patrols were stepped up at some Yorkshire beauty spots as people enjoyed the best of the weekend weather.
In Scarborough, officers were pictured speaking to people on the seafront, after North Yorkshire Police said it would ask for a reason for any journeys.
Extra patrols have been put on by police forces nationwide during England’s third national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
It comes after warnings in Norfolk and Wales of large beachside gatherings, as temperatures rose to 14C in parts of the country.
The North York Moors National Park is among those to have asked people to “sit tight” for a little while longer and not to travel unless necessary.
A couple and child who had set up camp on a dangerous cliff edge prompted a call-out by police and the coastguard. They were found in a tent in an area known for landslips along the Cleveland Way near Whitby on Saturday.
Hundreds of people are said to have visited Sea Palling in East Anglia on Saturday, from as far afield as Peterborough and Ipswich, simply so they could walk on the beach. Norfolk Police, which issued eight fines, called on visitors to remember the reason for the lockdown.