By Ben Kerrigan-
Downing Street has expressed doubt in relation to plans next month to completely ease lockdown restrictions in the UK.
The doubt was expressed as Matt Hancock announced that there are now 86 local authorities with five or more confirmed cases of the Indian Covid variant, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
“This isn’t just about Bolton and Blackburn,” he said, referring to the areas seeing a spike in cases.
Matt Hancock’s announcement comes as millions of Brits enjoy the first day of new freedoms, as lockdown is eased in England, Wales and most of Scotland.
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant in the UK.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
“There are now 86 local authorities where there are five or more confirmed cases,” he said. There are 343 local authorities in England.
Mr Hancock said the Indian variant was now the dominant strain of the virus in Bolton as well as Blackburn and Darwen and was rising in all age groups.
He was critical of those people in hospital in those areas had been eligible for a vaccine but had chosen not to have it – and urged anyone not sure whether to get jabbed to “look at what’s happening in Bolton”.
sponding to the “urgent question” address, Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the Tories’ delay in adding India to the travel red list was a “catastrophic misstep”. Describing the UK’s borders as being “about as secure as a sieve”, Mr Ashworth queried if the delay in action was caused by Boris Johnson’s intended trip to the country.
It comes after the prime minister earlier backtracked on a promise to reveal this month whether social distancing will end on 21 June, blaming the “new threat” from the Indian variant.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the Tories’ delay in adding India to the travel red list was a “catastrophic misstep”. Describing the UK’s borders as being “about as secure as a sieve”, Mr Ashworth queried if the delay in action was caused by Boris Johnson’s intended trip to the country.
UK prime minister, Boris Johnson had promised to reveal this month whether social distancing will end on 21 June, blaming the “new threat” from the Indian variant.
The prime minister last month said he expected to scrap the “1 metre-plus rule” – however his spokesman pulled the deadline for setting out plans by the end of May, saying: “We can’t be definitive at this point, because of the variant that has been identified.”
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar