Coronavirus news UK – Indian variant cases double as jabs ‘work against’ it and lockdown set to be lifted next week
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ENGLAND is still on course to lift the last of the lockdown restrictions despite cases of the Indian variant more than doubling in a week.
Boris Johnson admitted he was anxious at the surge in the number of people struck down by the super-infectious strain.
But the PM is still expected to allow Brits to reclaim its long-awaited freedoms on time.
Pubs and restaurants can finally reopen indoors, while family and friends will be able to hug for the first time in more than a year.
Meanwhile, Covid vaccines appear to work against the Indian variant - after jabbed care home workers in Delhi got infected but none died.
In promising reports from India, 33 people who had been given the AstraZeneca jab caught Covid but didn't become seriously ill or die from the virus.
It is unclear how the Indian variant reacts to vaccines, but this suggests the mutated virus won't cause high numbers of hospitalisation or death in protected people.
Pfizer thinks its vaccine will also work against the variant - but there is no real-world evidence on any large studies for any vaccines yet.
Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest updates...
AT LEAST SIX IN 10 UK ADULTS HAVE COVID-19 ANTIBODIES, FIGURES SUGGEST
At least six in 10 adults in the UK are now likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, new figures suggest.
The estimates range from 59.2% of adults in Scotland to 69.3% in England, with 63.2% for Wales and 63.5% for Northern Ireland.
The presence of Covid-19 antibodies implies someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated.
It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body to make enough antibodies to fight the virus.
Antibodies then remain in the blood at low levels, although these levels can decline over time to the point that tests can no longer detect them.
GRAPHIC: UK COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY
COVID CASES SOAR 65% IN A WEEK – BUT CASES ARE MILD THANKS TO JAB BLITZ
NEW daily Covid cases have risen by 65 per cent in one week, data suggests.
But experts say the good news is vaccines are making cases milder, as those infected who have had a jab reported fewer symptoms.
They also claim the rise in cases is not a reason to worry because it is expected as lockdown eases.
The ZOE Covid symptom study app has been tracking the coronavirus outbreak for a year using data from millions of mobile app users.
It says an estimated 2,782 people are getting ill with Covid symptoms every day.
PRIME MINISTER REFUSES TO RULE OUT LOCAL LOCKDOWNS
Asked if local lockdowns were possible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “There are a range of things we could do, we want to make sure we grip it.
“Obviously there’s surge testing, there’s surge tracing.”
He added: “If we have to do other things, then of course the public would want us to rule nothing out. We have always been clear we would be led by the data.
“At the moment, I can see nothing that dissuades me from thinking we will be able to go ahead on Monday and indeed on June 21, everywhere, but there may be things we have to do locally and we will not hesitate to do them if that is the advice we get.”
VIRAL LOAD
Covid-19 can linger in men’s penises for six months after infection and can increase the risk of impotence, experts have warned.
The virus is known to attack the lungs as a result of blood vessels narrowing. This is known as endothelial dysfunction where the lining of the small blood vessels fails to perform all of its functions normally.
The tissues supplied by those vessels could undergo damage and experts in Miami have now claimed that this damage goes beyond the lungs.
Study author Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associate professor and director of the Miller School’s Reproductive Urology Program said: “Our research shows that Covid-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys.
“The underlying endothelial dysfunction that happens because of Covid-19 can enter the endothelial cells and affect many organs, including the penis.”
MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY SAYS JUNE 21 LOCKDOWN DECISION WILL BE DRIVEN BY DATA AMID CONCERN OVER COVID VARIANTS
COVID CASES SOAR, BUT CASES ARE MILD
New daily Covid cases have risen by 65 per cent in one week, data suggests.
But experts say the good news is vaccines are making cases milder, as those infected who have had a jab reported fewer symptoms.
They also claim the rise in cases is not a reason to worry because it is expected as lockdown eases.
The ZOE Covid symptom study app has been tracking the coronavirus outbreak for a year using data from millions of mobile app users.
It says an estimated 2,782 people are getting ill with Covid symptoms every day.
The figure - which does not include asymptomatic cases - is a rise from 1,685 a week ago.
BRITS COULD BE TURNED AWAY FROM PORTUGAL DUE TO EU RULES
Thousands of British tourists hoping to head to Portugal next week could be turned away at the border due to EU rules banning non-member states.
Under current EU restrictions, only people from seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, are allowed to enter the bloc for non-essential reasons - this does not currently include the UK.
The UK's green list, which includes Portugal, doesn't require Brits to quarantine when returning to the UK.
Following the announcement, holiday bookings soared by as much as 600 per cent, with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 adding hundreds of thousands of seats due to demand.
However, despite Portugal also saying they are ready to welcome Brits back this month, EU rules could mean the country is forced to turn away holidaymakers.
According to it will be difficult to reverse the EU ban on non-member states currently recommended, as Lisbon holds the EU presidency.
BRITS COULD BE TURNED AWAY FROM PORTUGAL DUE TO EU RULES
Thousands of British tourists hoping to head to Portugal next week could be turned away at the border due to EU rules banning non-member states.
Under current EU restrictions, only people from seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, are allowed to enter the bloc for non-essential reasons - this does not currently include the UK.
The UK's green list, which includes Portugal, doesn't require Brits to quarantine when returning to the UK.
Following the announcement, holiday bookings soared by as much as 600 per cent, with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 adding hundreds of thousands of seats due to demand.
However, despite Portugal also saying they are ready to welcome Brits back this month, EU rules could mean the country is forced to turn away holidaymakers.
According to it will be difficult to reverse the EU ban on non-member states currently recommended, as Lisbon holds the EU presidency.
BRITS COULD BE TURNED AWAY FROM PORTUGAL DUE TO EU RULES
Thousands of British tourists hoping to head to Portugal next week could be turned away at the border due to EU rules banning non-member states.
Under current EU restrictions, only people from seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, are allowed to enter the bloc for non-essential reasons - this does not currently include the UK.
The UK's green list, which includes Portugal, doesn't require Brits to quarantine when returning to the UK.
Following the announcement, holiday bookings soared by as much as 600 per cent, with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 adding hundreds of thousands of seats due to demand.
However, despite Portugal also saying they are ready to welcome Brits back this month, EU rules could mean the country is forced to turn away holidaymakers.
According to it will be difficult to reverse the EU ban on non-member states currently recommended, as Lisbon holds the EU presidency.
BRITS COULD BE TURNED AWAY FROM PORTUGAL DUE TO EU RULES
Thousands of British tourists hoping to head to Portugal next week could be turned away at the border due to EU rules banning non-member states.
Under current EU restrictions, only people from seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, are allowed to enter the bloc for non-essential reasons - this does not currently include the UK.
The UK's green list, which includes Portugal, doesn't require Brits to quarantine when returning to the UK. Following the announcement, holiday bookings soared by as much as 600 per cent, with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 adding hundreds of thousands of seats due to demand.
However, despite Portugal also saying they are ready to welcome Brits back this month, EU rules could mean the country is forced to turn away holidaymakers.
According to it will be difficult to reverse the EU ban on non-member states currently recommended, as Lisbon holds the EU presidency.
DAILY TOLL
Coronavirus deaths have yesterday increased by 11 amid fears that the spread of the Indian variant could scupper the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.
The number of cases has increased by 2,284 – bringing the total to 4,441,975.
The increase in fatalities brings the total to 127,640.
It is the same figure as last week’s toll of 11 – but below the 14 deaths reported a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, cases are down slightly on last Wednesday’s figure of 2,511 – and also below the 2,510 infections recorded a fortnight ago.
BORIS JOHNSON HINTS ROADMAP COULD BE DELAYED SAYING HE’S ‘RULING NOTHING OUT’
S Johnson has said he "rules nothing out" to combat the spread of the highly infectious Indian Covid variant.
The PM admitted ministers were "very anxious" about the concerning strain - but hoped it would not derail the roadmap to lifting lockdown.
On a trip to Durham he said: "There is a range of things we could do, we are ruling nothing out."
But he added: "At the moment, I can see nothing that dissuades me from thinking we will be able to go ahead on Monday and indeed on June 21, everywhere, but there may be things we have to do locally and we will not hesitate to do them if that is the advice we get."
Surge testing in hotbeds where the variant is spreading will be deployed, the PM said.
COVID-19 NEWS ROUND-UP: THE LATEST
- Experts warned that the Indian variant could be up to 60 per cent more transmissible than the Kent strain
- The work-from-home order should END next month when lockdown is over, the PM said today
- New variants pose a 'lethal danger' and could spark the worst Covid wave yet, Boris Johnson warned
- The government announced a full public inquiry into coronavirus, beginning in Spring 2022
- A senior minister refused to rule out local lockdowns to crack down on Covid hotspots
PRIME MINISTER: NO QUESTION NHS FACES HUGE BACKLOG
Asked about NHS waiting times during his visit to County Durham, the Prime Minister said: "There's no question that the NHS now faces a huge backlog.
"It's a massive national challenge but I also know that a great, great national institution that has proved itself capable of rising to the most phenomenal challenges.
"It was never overwhelmed by Covid, it hasn't been so far and I know it can cope with the backlog."
Speaking at a primary school in Ferryhill, County Durham, he said: "I want to say to people who have conditions that need attention, whether it's cancer or stroke or whatever, they should be coming forward to get the medical care they need."
BORIS JOHNSON SAYS ANNOUNCEMENTS TO COME THIS MONTH ON MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
sked if masks and social distancing were going, Boris Johnson said more announcements will be made before the end of the month.
He added: "I think we have to wait a little bit longer to see how the data is looking but I am cautiously optimistic about that and provided this Indian variant doesn't take off in the way some people fear,
"I think certainly things could get back much, much closer to normality.";
PRIME MINISTER REFUSES TO RULE OUT LOCAL LOCKDOWNS
Asked if local lockdowns were possible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There are a range of things we could do, we want to make sure we grip it.
"Obviously there's surge testing, there's surge tracing."
He added: "If we have to do other things, then of course the public would want us to rule nothing out. We have always been clear we would be led by the data.
"At the moment, I can see nothing that dissuades me from thinking we will be able to go ahead on Monday and indeed on June 21, everywhere, but there may be things we have to do locally and we will not hesitate to do them if that is the advice we get."
GRAPHIC: UK COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY
SCIENTISTS KEEPING CLOSE EYE ON SPREAD OF INDIAN VARIANT
Scientists are keeping a close eye on the spread of the Indian variant across the UK, but there are currently no signs that infection is leading to rising hospital admissions, experts have said.
Professor Steven Riley, from Imperial College London, said that whether the road map for England continues on its planned trajectory was "a Government decision" but suggested the UK was currently in a good place, although variants were being watched.
He told Times Radio: "I think there's two key things that have got to be kind of evaluated - if infections go up, how quickly will they go up? But then after that, are they linked to the hospitalisations?
"The top-line Government policy is driven by protecting the NHS, so even if infection starts to go up, we then need to assess whether that's bringing a lot of new cases into hospitals, and there's certainly no sign of that at the moment."
On Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency said it was "pretty confident" that vaccines currently in use will be effective against the Indian variant - a view echoed by some British scientists.
UEFA CONFIRM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN PORTO WITH CHELSEA AND MAN CITY ALLOWED 6,000 FANS EACH
CHELSEA and Manchester City will each have 6,000 fans at the Champions League Final after Uefa finally confirmed the match has been switched to Portugal.
After nearly a week of negotiations, Euro chiefs announced the game would be moved from Istanbul as a result of the latest Covid wave in Turkey.
Uefa had hoped to move the game to Wembley but that plan was scuppered because of UK border regulation controls and the number of broadcasters, VIPs and guests required to have access to the game.
But 48 hours of intensive negotiations with the Portuguese authorities were completed as Uefa confirmed Porto’s Estadio do Dragao will be the venue for European football’s showpiece event.
As a result of fierce lobbying by Uefa, the Portuguese Government agreed to raise it’s initial 10 per cent stadium capacity cap to allow up to 20,000 inside the 50,000-capacity venue.
MIXING ASTRAZENECA AND PFIZER JABS IS SAFE BUT MIGHT TRIGGER MORE SIDE EFFECTS, FIRST STUDY FINDS
MIXING doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines appears safe, but may trigger more side effects.
According to the first study of its kind, taking a dose of both vaccines may make people feel more unwell than if they had just been given one type.
But the effects are short-lived and last no more than 48 hours, the scientists at University of Oxford reassured.
Most Covid jabs require two doses at least 21 days apart, the first being called the “primer” and the second the “booster”.
The Com-COV study aimed to see whether two vaccines that work in very different ways can work in tandem.
ONTHEBEACH TO STOP SELLING HOLIDAYS UNTIL END OF SUMMER
Online giant OnTheBeach will not sell any further holidays until the end of summer, but will honour bookings already made before May 12.
Boss Simon Cooper said: “There’s nothing we want more than to be able to send customers on holiday, but with the current number of unknowns we don’t think that now is the right time for customers to book new holidays departing in the next few months.
“We don’t know enough yet about how the traffic light system will work in practice, and it doesn’t currently give any certainty or clarity.
“There is likelihood of disruption or even cancellations for the many customers who want to book more than three weeks in advance.
“Given this, there is too much uncertainty for us to take new bookings with confidence that they will go ahead. As a result, we have taken the decision to stop selling holidays for this summer until customers have greater clarity and can make more informed booking decisions.”
LOCKDOWNS LED TO 9% DROP IN KNIFE CRIME
National lockdowns sparked by the coronavirus pandemic drove a drop in crime across England and Wales in 2020 including a 9% fall in knife crime, figures show.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published on Thursday, revealed there were 5.6 million crimes recorded by police in England and Wales in the 12 months, a fall of 8% compared with the 6.1 million the previous year.
The ONS said the annual drop was mainly driven by "substantial falls" of 15% between April and June as the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.
While police-recorded crimes increased again from July to September as restrictions were gradually eased, they fell again in the last three months of the year as lockdown measures were reimposed, it added.
There was a 9% drop in the number of offences involving knives or sharp instruments in 2020 compared to 2019, driven by sharp falls during lockdown periods, the ONS said.
GLASGOW COVID SPIKE MAY INVOLVE INDIAN VARIANT (CONTINUED....)
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme on Thursday, she said: "There has been a big rise in cases in those communities, so as we look ahead to Monday when there is going to be a lot of easing, questions will be asked about what is the profile of those cases when it comes to variants and what do we do to try to get on top of what looks like a cluster of outbreaks linked to household transmission."
Prof Bauld stressed it is not for her to decide if Glasgow should have restrictions eased to Level 2 along with most of the rest of Scotland on Monday.
So far only Moray is unlikely to drop down a level under the Scottish Government's five-tier system, due to high number of Covid-19 infections there.
Cases in Glasgow are now reported to be at the level of 74 per 100,000 people, with Prof Bauld saying such "bumps (in cases) does make me a bit worried".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already said the situation in Glasgow is being monitored "very closely".
GLASGOW COVID SPIKE MAY INVOLVE INDIAN VARIANT, HEALTH EXPERT WARNS
A spike in coronavirus infections in Glasgow could include one of the new Indian variants of the virus, a public health expert has warned.
Speaking about the so-called B16172 variant, Professor Linda Bauld said "this may be some of the cases" in the south side of the city.
The Edinburgh University expert added there has been a "big rise in cases in those communities", warning the Indian variant "may be even more transmissible" that the form of Covid which spread throughout Scotland this winter, during the second wave of the pandemic.
She added that if this is the case, the response from the Test and Protect contract tracing service "needs to be super-robust".
Prof Bauld also suggested that household mixing could be responsible for the rise in cases in Glasgow.