UK's lockdown lifting plan hangs in balance over B.1.617 C-19 variant concerns

UK's roadmap to lifting all coronavirus restrictions appeared to be balanced on a knife-edge, with authorities and scientists urging caution amid the rapid spread of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first identified in India, which the health secretary says is estimated to be behind up to three-quarters of new infections in the country.

Public Health England data shows cases of the variant have risen by 3,535 to 6,959 since last week.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a Downing Street briefing on Thursday that the government had always expected cases to rise as restrictions were eased.

But he said it was "critical" to monitor the link between cases and hospitalisations.

On Thursday, a further 3,542 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK.

It is the second day in a row the number of new COVID-19 cases has topped 3,000 - the first time infections have reached this level since mid-April.

"The latest estimates are that more than half and potentially as many as three-quarters of all new cases are now of this variant,'' Hancock told the briefing.

"As we set out our roadmap we always expected cases to rise - we must remain vigilant." He said the increase in cases was still focused on hotspots.

The PHE data found the worst-affected areas continue to be Bolton, Bedford, and Blackburn with Darwen, which have seen 1,354, 366 and 361 confirmed cases, respectively.

PHE added, however, that there are small numbers of cases of the variant in most parts of the country.