As the UK emerges from lockdown measures, several parts of the country have seen an increase in coronavirus cases. This is due to the highly transmissible B.1.617.1 or Indian variant, which worries local leaders and triggers an intensification of vaccination efforts.
Several regions have seen an increase in Covid cases in recent weeks, with new guidelines introduced for affected areas.
Bolton in Greater Manchester continues to have the highest rate, with 1,296 new cases in the seven days to May 20, the equivalent of 450.7 cases per 100,000 population.
That’s 282.4 in seven days as of May 13.
Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire has the second highest rate, dropping from 114.2 to 280.6, with 420 new cases.
Bedford has the third highest, rising from 122.9 to 187.0, with 324 new cases.
Read more: Indian Covid variant update: “ Vaccines effective against all variants ”
The hot spots of the Indian variant covered by the new guidelines are:
- Bedford Borough Council
- Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
- Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
- Burnley Borough Council
- Kirklees Council
- Leicester City Council
- London Borough of Hounslow
- North Tyneside Council
The new advisory was issued for the worst affected areas, with people being urged to meet outdoors where possible and not to travel outside the affected areas.
Blackburn and deputy adviser to Darwen City Council Deputy Head Phil Riley said he was surprised the government had given the advice given the nature of the cases involved.
He said: “As the numbers increase, everything indicates that the cases are very concentrated among adolescents and young people.
“This is what we expected because it is clear that the vaccine has not yet arrived.”
He added: “The vast majority of cases occur in schools and educational institutions, while the number of critical cases in hospitals is much reduced compared to what we have seen previously.
“So I am very surprised that the government has decided on this course of action.”
The government says that anyone in the listed areas should:
- Go outside rather than inside when possible
- Stand two meters away from people they don’t live with (unless they’ve formed a supportive bubble with them), this includes friends and family they don’t live with
- Avoid traveling in and out of affected areas unless it is essential, for example for work (if they cannot work from home) or for education
Those who live in Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley should also:
- Get tested for free twice a week and isolate them if they are positive
- Continue to work from home if they can
- Get vaccinated when offered to do so and encourage others to do so too
Now an announcement from Boris Johnson on the latest lockdown restrictions has been delayed.
Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson said on Monday that the revised social distancing rules will be released “as soon as possible based on the latest data, which will help us educate ourselves on what action we can take around certification. “.
When asked why there was a delay from the original plan, the spokesperson said: “I think it’s reasonable for a new variant like this and the need to collect as much data as possible to inform our decisions.
“It is only fair to take the time to obtain this information before making these final decisions.”
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Source: feedproxy.google.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-24 21:34:00
