Ministers are stepping up calls for people to receive a COVID vaccine as soon as they are offered one amid fears about the spread of the Indian variant.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has expressed frustration that some people refuse to be vaccinated when they are eligible.
Last night he tweeted: “The success of our immunization program means we are able to take step three of our roadmap today, carefully easing some of the restrictions we have all endured.
“I urge all who are eligible to come forward and receive your blow.”
Bolton has become a hotspot for the Indian variant
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons on Monday that the majority of those admitted to Bolton hospital with the B1.617.2 variant had been eligible for the jab but had not accepted it.
There are 86 local councils that have five or more cases of the variant.
Mr Hancock said there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant in the UK, including 483 in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.
Cases there had doubled last week, with 19 people in Bolton in hospital with the variant and eight in Blackburn, and it is now the dominant strain in the region.
The Times reported that ministers are considering contingency plans for local lockdowns if the tension cannot be brought under control.
In Bolton, a rapid response team has been “deployed” to the region, including the deployment of 50 additional vaccinators, the opening of two new vaccination centers and six screening centers.
The vaccination rate in the town tripled over the weekend, with 6,200 people …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-18 05:27:00
