JBR what is Marge's view?

Local and regional restrictions to tackle the Indian Covid variant cannot be ruled out, the government has said, as it expressed concern over the speed of the variant's spread in England. It said "economic and social" restrictions could be reimposed in parts of England if necessary.

Public Health England has recorded 1,313 UK cases of the Indian variant. The figures released on Thursday are more than double the 520 cases recorded by PHE up to 5 May.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was supporting areas where cases were rising and urged people to "continue to be vigilant".

"We are monitoring the situation very carefully and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary," he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out reintroducing regional restrictions, saying: "It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it." But he added there was no evidence to suggest England's planned lockdown easing could not go ahead. The next major easing of restrictions is due to take place on 17 May.

On Thursday, the UK reported another 11 deaths within 28 days of a positive test and a further 2,657 coronavirus cases.

Cases of the Indian variant in the UK have been recorded in London, Bolton, Tyneside and Nottingham.

PHE said mobile testing units had been set up in Bolton, and door-to-door PCR testing had been offered to 22,000 residents.

A vaccine bus has been set up in the town to increase uptake among those who are eligible for vaccinations and a rapid response team of 100 nurses, public health advisers and environmental health officers has been sent in.

Extra clinics will open in Blackburn and Darwen in Lancashire from next week to offer the vaccine to those who are eligible under national guidelines.

Surge testing has also been deployed in Sefton, Merseyside, after cases of the Indian variant were confirmed in the Formby area, with anyone over 16 who lives, works or studies in the area urged to take a PCR test.

Prof Robert Dingwall, a scientist on the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said it seemed people who had been vaccinated "have only a very low risk of infection" from the Indian variant - and infection was "likely to be mild".

Hi

Boris to make an announcement this evening.

India was added to the red list on 23 April, but neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh have both been on it since 9 April.

Bangladesh had the South Africa but not the Brazil variant and Pakistan had neither when they were added to the red list on 9 April.

India had both, as well as a new variant, but was not added for another two weeks.

On 9 April:

• Pakistan had a seven-day average of 21 cases per million people
• Bangladesh had twice as many
• India had four times as many

In late March, India's health authority said 771 variants of concern had been detected in a sample of almost 11,000 positive cases - a fraction of the millions of cases recorded in the country.

Just under half of people with the India variant of concern in England had been travelling, according to a briefing from Public Health England.

It said that about one third of the cases were in London and a quarter were in the North West of England. Almost 60% of positive Covid19 tests are now sent for genome sequencing to identify new variants, which means the government has a good idea of where the cases are.

Speaking at a Downing Street briefing alongside the UK's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Mr Johnson said he did not believe that the "present evidence" showed a need to delay the next stage in the easing of lockdown in England on Monday - which is when people can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors and six people or two households can meet indoors.

But Mr Johnson warned: The government's aim with the fourth and final step of the roadmap is to remove all legal limits on social contact on 21 June and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen.

Prof Whitty warned that if the Indian variant proved to be more transmissible than other variants, the UK could see "a really significant surge" in Covid-19 cases, adding:

Trade deals. Remember he was heading over there recently then decided against it.