About 40% more contagious than the British coronavirus Alpha mutant is estimated to be the Indian Delta mutant, which has become dominant in the United Kingdom.
The UK Health Minister Matt Hancock, who made the statement, said this was the latest scientific assessment and commented that this fact makes it “more difficult” to lift the restrictive measures in the country on June 21.
On the other hand, he reiterated that with both doses of coronavirus vaccines the protection against the Indian mutation is high.
According to reports in Britain, the government is compiling a list of alternatives if it is finally judged that the country will not be able to fully return to normalcy by the end of June. A possible date for the lifting of the measures is now being discussed, July 5, so that more citizens over the age of 50 have managed to get the second dose of the vaccine.
According to the Minister of Health, the connection between cases, which are increased and hospitalizations, which have not increased much, “has been affected but has not been broken”. He stressed that the new week is crucial to see if the increased cases will cause increased hospital admissions.
Public health officials say the latest admissions are mainly at younger ages and that the condition of these patients is milder than the older patients of previous months.
Coronavirus cases in the country have increased by 49% in the last seven days, exceeding 6,000 for the first time since March on Friday. Another 5,341 incidents and four deaths were confirmed on Sunday. The SAGE scientific committee advising the government estimated on Friday that the R value of the virus reproduction rate has increased to 1-1.2.
According to the data covering until Saturday, the first dose of the vaccine has been given by 40,333,231 citizens, ie 76.6% of adults and the second 27,661,353 citizens or 52.5% of the adult population.
Mr Hancock also announced that all citizens over the age of 30 would be invited for the first dose of the vaccine within a week.
He said vaccinating children over the age of 12 would have “advantages” for the education sector. He was speaking after the approval of the possible vaccination of children aged 12-15 by the Regulatory Authority for Medicines and Health Products. The decision now rests with the Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, meanwhile, has said it is time for those who have been vaccinated to be treated differently from those who have not.
ΚΥΠΕ
