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Call for ‘surge vaccinations’ as India variant cases double in a week

<p>Boris Johnson at a school in Durham today</p> (PA)

Boris Johnson at a school in Durham today

(PA)

Government ministers are under growing pressure to deploy “surge vaccinations” in Covid hotspots as figures show cases of the Indian variant have doubled in a week.

Jon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said the move should be considered as part of the stratergy to help curb the alarming spread of cases.

He called on Boris Johnson to move with speed to avoid another wave of infections.

Sources told the Guardian the government was looking to approve a surge vaccine programme for the over-16s in the worst affected wards in Bolton and Blackburn.

“This might be all adults in multi-generational households; all adults from 16 upwards in a particular geography where there is high enduring transmission, low compliance/engagement with test/trace/isolation and lower vaccine uptake in the existing Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation priority groups; or all adults in a broader geography,” said a public health source.

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Meanwhile, the rate of new cases rose in 13 of London’s 32 boroughs in the week leading up to May 8.

However, the rate of new cases continue to fall in the majority of the capital’s boroughs, with 18 boroughs seeing less cases than the week before. Only one borough, Redbridge, saw no change week-to-week.

Hounslow experienced the highest rise in cases, up 35.2 per cent from 87 to 119.

It comes just hours after Mr Johnson said the Government is “ruling nothing out” in dealing with the Covid Indian variant.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows a rise in cases from 520 to 1,313 this week in the UK, with the agency saying cases were “rising in the community.”

It said it was monitoring the situation and assessing the impact and severity of the variant.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at PHE, said: “We need to act collectively and responsibly to ensure that variants do not impact on the progress we have all made to drive down levels of Covid-19 and the increased freedom that brings.”

Responding to the increase in cases of the Indian variant of concern, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are committed to working with local areas and deploying our world-leading genomic sequencing to get this variant under control.

“We are supporting areas where the cases of this variant are rising.

PA Wire
PA Wire

“We are monitoring the situation very carefully and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary.

“It is imperative we all continue to be vigilant, and if you live in one of the 15 areas where we’ve introduced surge testing, make sure you get a free PCR test.

“And everyone who’s eligible needs to come forward and get a jab.”

In Bolton, which has one of the highest case rates of the variant in the country, mobile testing units have been deployed and door-to-door PCR Covid testing has been offered to 22,000 residents.

A vaccine bus has been set up to increase uptake among those who are eligible.

Measures have also been brought in elsewhere, including areas of concern in London.

Meanwhile surge testing has been deployed in Sefton, Merseyside, after cases of the Indian variant were confirmed in the Formby area.

Anyone over 16 who lives, works or studies in the area urged to take a PCR test.

Speaking at a primary school in Ferryhill, County Durham, earlier, the Prime Minister said: “It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it.

“At the moment there is a very wide range of scientific opinion about what could happen.

“We want to make sure we take all the prudential, cautious steps now that we could take, so there are meetings going on today to consider exactly what we need to do.

“There is a range of things we could do, we are ruling nothing out.”

Asked if local lockdowns were possible, Mr Johnson said: “There are a range of things we could do, we want to make sure we grip it.

Boris during his visit todayPA
Boris during his visit todayPA

“Obviously there’s surge testing, there’s surge tracing.

“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.”

PHE said cases of the variant and any clusters are being “rapidly investigated” by local PHE teams, councils and NHS Test and Trace to identify the contacts of those who test positive.

People are being encouraged to go for testing and to self-isolate if needed.

PHE said there were “many small dispersed clusters” in London and it was working with borough councils on a local approach, which had already been effective at driving down variants.

It added: “Across the North West, significant work is under way with local councils and partners in specific areas where variant cases have been identified.”

Dr Hopkins urged people to follow local public health advice and said: “Cases of this variant are rising in the community and we are continuously monitoring its spread and severity to ensure we take rapid public health action.”

She added: “Testing and isolating when required not only limits spread, it helps us to better understand how the variant behaves in the community which is vital to taking effective and proportionate action moving forward.

“If you’re asked to take a test please do. The way to limit the spread of all variants is the same.

“Keep your distance, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, cover your nose and mouth when inside, keep buildings well ventilated and meet people from other households outside.”

PHE is asking the public to continue to working from home and take up the offer of twice-weekly lateral flow tests.

A spokeswoman for Blackburn with Darwen Council initially said extra vaccine doses had been secured so all people aged over 18 there could be offered the jab from next week amid rising cases.

But in a statement released later on Thursday, the council said the vaccine would not be widely available to over-18s, but only available “in line with Government guidance”.

Boris at Cleves Cross Primary school in Ferryhill, County DurhamPA
Boris at Cleves Cross Primary school in Ferryhill, County DurhamPA

Earlier, asked if masks and social distancing would be scrapped next month, Mr Johnson said more announcements would be made before the end of this 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.”

Downing Street also said officials would not “rule anything out” when asked if the Government was considering surge vaccinations to accompany surge testing in areas with spikes of new variants.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “We want to consider all options.”

Earlier, Professor Steven Riley, from Imperial College London, said whether the road map for England continued on its planned trajectory was “a Government decision” but suggested the UK was currently in a good place.

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