COVID: NEW INDIAN VARIANT FEARS
Older Britons to get early second dose in breakout areas to halt the spread of variant
MINISTERS last night approved plans aimed at slowing the spread of the Indian variant, after cases doubled in a week.
Older people living in areas of high infection are to be offered their second dose of the vaccine early to protect them.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also been asked to examine the case for ‘targeted vaccinations’ of all over-17s in the worst-hit areas.
Surge testing for the new coronavirus variant will also be deployed in areas where it is spreading rapidly.
Boris Johnson said he was ‘anxious’ about the variant and refused to rule out local lockdowns to help try to contain it.
But Government sources played down the risk that outbreaks of the ‘variant of concern’ could derail the plans to lift the lockdown on June 21.
The new variant spreads at an alarming rate, with Public Health England last night revealing that cases in the UK had more than doubled from 520 to 1,313 in a week.
But a source said there was no evidence so far that current vaccines would fail to protect against serious disease and death.
‘If it is just spreading quicker, that is no reason to change course,’ the source said. ‘The important thing is that we do not see a rise in hospitalisations and deaths.
‘But we have to be cautious because we just do not know enough about this variant.’
Last night’s move will see people aged over 50 and those with underlying health conditions offered their second jab earlier if they are living in an area where the Indian variant is spreading fast.
Figures yesterday showed the UK had recorded its biggest daily rise in cases since April 27. There were 2,657 new cases of the disease, up from 2,284 new cases the day before. Eleven patients were confirmed to have died within 28 days of a positive test, the same as the previous day.
Blackburn with Darwen Council in Lancashire yesterday claimed that jabs would be offered to all over-17s, after infection levels doubled in a week, but later changed its mind and said the vaccines would be offered only to those age groups which had been invited to come forward by the NHS.
But neighbouring Bolton – which has the highest infection rates in the country – last night pleaded with the Government to be allowed to administer jabs to all adults. David Greenhalgh, the council’s Conservative leader said: ‘Send us more vaccinations and allow us to vaccinate 18 years-plus now. That is the answer, not further restrictions.’
The Prime Minister said yester day: ‘It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it.’
Speaking at a primary school in Ferryhill, County Durham, he said: ‘There is a very wide range of scientific opinion about what could We want to make sure we take all the prudential, cautious steps now that we could take. There is a range of things we could do – we are ruling nothing out.’
The variant spreads more quickly than the Kent strain, which is currently the most dominant in the UK, although scientists are not yet sure whether it causes more severe illness and hospitalisations.
Public Health England confirmed yesterday that several of the areas in England with the highest infection rates are those where the Indian variant is known to be rampant. But scientists remain divided as to whether the variant can be
‘We are anxious about it’
contained locally – through increased vaccination and testing – or whether the Government should delay the next stage of the easing of restrictions.
professor John edmunds, epidemiologist at the london School of Hygiene and tropical Medicine and a member of Sage, said that at this stage, efforts should be focused on local measures.
He said: ‘ We should look at whatever we can locally in terms of containing the spread. that’s a much better way of doing it. It’s still fairly isolated.
‘It’s only if it gets out there and it becomes more widespread, that more widespread measures might be necessary.’
But Dr Deepti Gurdasani, a lecturer in epidemiology at Queen Mary’s University of london, told times radio: If it’s growing now, with current restrictions, we can’t afford to be easing restrictions. We are seeing rapid exponential growth. and if we ease restrictions further, that’s leading us straight into another lockdown.’
professor ravi Gutpa, a professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge University, said it was 50:50 whether restrictions would be eased on June 21.
He told Sky News: ‘the problem is that (the variant) has seeded so quickly that it’s probably spread to other areas.
‘So we may get dissemination of the virus before the vaccine has taken effect. It’s going to be a difficult decision and it’s 50:50 at the moment.’
Steve Baker, of the 70- strong Covid recovery Group of tory Mps, said ministers should not be considering extending lockdowns. He added: ‘Why on earth would we lock down when the vaccines continue to break the link between cases and hospitalisations and deaths?’
aS journeys go, it’s not always been smooth. there we were, coasting along the road out of lockdown, when another obstacle suddenly appeared ahead.
this time, it’s a worrying surge of the Indian variant of Covid-19. Frustratingly, the uptick coincides with the PM confirming a further easing of restrictions, including the reopening of indoor hospitality, on Monday. to no one’s surprise, a gaggle of doomy scientists are imploring Boris Johnson to rip up his map to freedom.
Is this really necessary? true, the variant may spread faster than other mutations and render vaccines slightly less effective.
But there is no evidence it is more virulent. even in hotspots, there is no sign hospital admissions are rising, while new infections are overwhelmingly among the unjabbed young – more proof the inoculations work.
the increase in cases does, however, damn ministers for dithering over hotel quarantine for arrivals from India.
that aside, Boris promised the vaccines would unlock society and the economy. Given the data (forget dates) remains eyerubbingly optimistic, there’s no reason for him to dash the nation’s hopes of release.