INDIA’S terrifying “double mutant” strain of coronavirus is causing “increased concern” around the world.
This morning Boris Johnson cancelled a scheduled visit to New Delhi as the virus there increasingly rages out of control.
Although it is not yet classified a variant of concern like Brazil or SOuth African strains , the fact it contains multiple mutations from the original SARS CoV-2 makes it much less easy to predict.
Two of the mutations seen in the India strain could make dodge vaccines much easier than earlier variants, while a third mutation could make it much easier to transmit.
That could explain why India is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of coronavirus since the pandemic began – something that has got increasingly concerned about the Indian strain becoming dominant.
So far there are at least 73 documented cases of the Indian strain in the UK.
There have also been multiple community transmissions, raising the prospect that not all incoming travellers with the virus were identified during their isolation period.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for NHS Test and Trace, told the Andrew Marr Show: “We have seen a couple of cases (of the Indian variant) that haven’t arisen from travel but we’re still trying to undergo the investigations to look in great detail at where they might have acquired it from.
“To escalate it up the ranking we need to know that it is increased transmissibility, increased severity or vaccine evading, and we just don’t have that yet.”
Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest news and updates…
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WALES (CONTINUED…)
“Because meeting outdoors continues to be lower risk than meeting indoors, we are able to bring forward changes to allow any six people to meet outdoors.
“This will provide more opportunities for people, especially young people, to meet outdoors with their friends. This will undoubtedly have a significant positive impact on people’s wellbeing.
“I’m also pleased to confirm outdoor hospitality will be allowed to reopen from Monday April 26.
“These changes will help the hospitality sector recover after a difficult 12 months.
“It is thanks to the continuing efforts of people across Wales we are able to introduce this change. Together, we will continue to keep Wales safe.”
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OUTDOOR HOSPITALITY TO REOPEN IN WALES NEXT WEEK
Six people from different households will be able to meet outdoors in Wales from Saturday and outdoor hospitality can reopen from the following Monday, the First Minister has announced.
Mark Drakeford said cases of new coronavirus infections continued to fall, but people making use of the eased restrictions would still need to socially distance from those from other households or support bubbles.
A number of other measures are also expected to be announced by Mr Drakeford on Friday. Current rules allow up to six people – excluding children under 11 – to meet outside but only from a maximum of two different households.
From Saturday any six people can meet up outdoors, but meeting people from other households indoors is still not allowed unless in a limited number of circumstances.
Then from Monday April 26, pubs, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality businesses will be allowed to offer outdoor service once again.
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JASON MANIFORD TRACK & TRACE ALERT (CONTINUED…)
Funnyman Jason told the Sun’s Bizarre TV columnist Andy Hall: “There’s this phonecall, ‘You’ve been track and traced, you need to isolate for the next ten days’. I was like ‘what, can I just do a test?’ It was ‘no’.
“There was a second where I just thought ‘should I just keep my mouth shut’. Then I thought ‘what a hypocrite Jason you would be if you did that’.
“I’ve been giving it out for the last year about people not being responsible.
“I felt an incredible amount of pressure on my shoulders about telling this multi-million pound production ‘you can’t film for ten days’.”
He added: “I went into isolation in a flat in Glasgow we were renting. I’ve quite enjoyed it. I’ve never had time like this to myself. I’ve been tested every day and I’m fine. My wife said, ‘Only one more day until freedom’ and I thought, ‘This is my last day of freedom’.”
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JASON MANFORD’S NEW BBC GAMESHOW UNBEATABLE THROWN INTO CHAOS BY COVID TRACK AND TRACE ALERT
Sun Exclusive by Andy Hall
TELLY producers have been doing their utmost to keep shows on air during the pandemic, trying to keep outbreaks contained and to a minimum without halting production.
But it’s a bit trickier if it’s the programme’s host who gets the dreaded alert from the NHS.
Funnyman Jason Manford has revealed how his new BBC gameshow Unbeatable was thrown into chaos by an isolation order.
He said: “I got track and traced. I’m one of the few people in the country who’ve downloaded the ‘grass yourself up’ app, and it’s somebody that I’ve been in contact with the weekend before last.
“In the middle of the week I get a phonecall. I’m already in the make-up chair. I’m just about to go and record four episodes of this new show Unbeatable. We’re 20 episodes in of 50. There’s 60 people on set waiting – contestants have flown up from all over the country.”
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UNIVERSAL CREDIT LOOPHOLE MEANS THOUSANDS OF KEY WORKERS COULD LOSE £500 BONUS
THOUSANDS of key workers in Wales could lose out on a £500 Covid bonus if they are claiming Universal Credit.
Frontline healthcare workers in the country have been promised a one of payment from the Government to thank them for their hardwork throughout the pandemic.
The bonus is worth £735 but most people will receive £500 after national insurance and tax deductions, the Welsh Government said.
But now officials have admitted those who claim Universal Credit might not benefit from the boost by as much as they should.
This is because the welfare payments are means tested, so the amount you receive every month is based on your income.
Read more here.
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SOUTH AFRICAN AND KENT COVID VARIANTS ALREADY RECORDED IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN VACCINATED, TOP MEDIC WARNS
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VIRUS SLOWS
BRITAIN has today recorded its lowest daily death toll in over seven months – with four fatalities.
Cases have fallen by 17 per cent in a week with another 2,963 infections reported.
Read more here.
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INDIA: ONE WEEK LOCKDOWN IMPOSED IN NEW DELHI
New Delhi, the Indian capital, has imposed a week long lockdown seeking to prevent the collapse of the city’s health system, which authorities say has been pushed to its limit amid an explosive surge in coronavirus cases.
To combat the crisis, India announced that it would soon expand its vaccination campaign to everyone 18 and older starting May 1.
India began vaccinating health workers in mid-January and later extended the drive to people above 45 in two phases. The country has so far administered 120 million doses.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 88, was hospitalized in New Delhi on Monday after testing positive for COVID-19.
India reported 273,810 new infections Monday, the most it has seen in a single day since the pandemic began. It now has more than 15 million confirmed cases, second only to the United States.
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GRAPH: UK COVID VACCINATIONS TO DATE
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THREE CASES OF INDIAN COVID-19 VARIANT DETECTED IN IRELAND
Three cases of the Indian variant of Covid-19 have been identified in Ireland.
Two of the three cases are associated with travel, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing heard on Monday.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said the three cases were identified in the last couple of days.
“Public health investigations are ongoing, at least two of them are associated with travel, but there is more work ongoing at the moment,” he said.
“At this stage, as with all of these variants of interest, we need to remain vigilant, it’s important that we try and contain and control it locally but I suppose we probably still need more information and more evidence to give us an indication as to whether it is going to become a fourth variant of concern.”
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TESCO SECURITY GUARD DIES FROM COVID AFTER COMPLAINING SHOPPERS WOULD ENTER STORE WITHOUT MASKS
A TESCO security guard who died who from coronavirus had protested to his family how shoppers turned up without masks.
Dad-of-three Eric Ohene-Adjei, 46, told his wife Rachel shoppers would enter the store without face coverings – and then claim to be exempt.
Heartbroken Rachel described how proud father Eric started feeling unwell after finishing a late shift one night at the Tesco superstore in St Mellons, Cardiff. He later tested positive for Covid-19 and spent seven weeks in intensive care before his tragic death last weekend.
Rachel said: “He would come home and tell me people were coming in without any masks on only to have them say they’re exempt.
“They didn’t have to show anything or do anything to prove it. Some people have genuine reasons but not everyone can say they’re exempt.
“People think the virus is a massive joke but don’t understand they’re risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It’s not a joke.”
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BOOSTER SHOT
THE Health Secretary told the Commons that the Government has secured enough doses of the vaccine to give booster vaccine jabs.
He also hailed a scheme to allow Brits to pick up Covid tests from chemists.
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GRAPHIC: UK COVID JAB-O-METER
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COVID NEWS ROUND-UP: THE LATEST
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IRELAND RECORDS ZERO COVID DEATHS IN LATEST DAILY UPDATE
No further deaths connected with Covid-19 have been reported in Ireland.
Another 403 cases were confirmed.
On Monday morning, there were 183 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of which 50 were in intensive case.
As of April 17, 1,204,063 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Ireland, of which 852,189 were first doses, and 351,874 were second doses.
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TURKEY RECORDS MORE THAN 55,000 CASES IN 24 HOURS
Turkey recorded 55,149 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, data from the Health Ministry showed on Monday.
The figure, although high, is down from a record of more than 63,000 cases reported on Friday.
The data also showed 341 people died due to COVID-19 in the same period.
Today’s data brings Turkey’s total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 36,267.
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VIRUS SLOWS
BRITAIN has today recorded its lowest daily death toll in over seven months – with four fatalities.
Cases have fallen by 17 per cent in a week with another 2,963 infections reported.
Read more here.
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INDIA TO BE PLACED ON BANNED ‘RED LIST’ FROM FRIDAY
TRAVELLERS from India to the UK will face quarantine restrictions from Friday.
India will be added to the government’s red list from 4am, Mr Hancock told MPs.
It comes after Boris Johnson binned his trade visit to India over concerns of the country’s Covid variant.
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WATCH: NICOLA STURGEON TO CONFIRM REOPENING OF SCOTLAND’S PUBS TOMORROW
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GRAPHIC: UK COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY
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PM HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ 10M SECOND DOSE FIGURE
BORIS Johnson has hailed the landmark figure of more than 10 million Brits being vaccinated.
The PM described the numbers as “fantastic”, adding: “This is another remarkable milestone in our vaccination programme, which has already saved thousands of lives.
“I want to thank the brilliant staff and volunteers involved in the rollout, and urge all those who are called to keep coming forward.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted this afternoon: “Over 10 million second vaccine doses have been administered across the UK.
“This milestone shows how far we’ve come in our fight against this virus & I want to pay tribute to the whole team involved.”
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NEW COVID FIGURES
TODAY’S new government Covid figures showed there were no new deaths reported in Scotland or Northern Ireland, with two reported in Wales.
Meanwhile, the UK today passed the milestone of 10 million second vaccine doses – with almost one in five adults now fully protected.
Latest ONS data shows the UK has a population of 66,796,807 with 54,096,807 being aged over 16.
This means almost a fifth of British adults have now received their second jab in a huge boost a week after lockdown restrictions were eased.
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FOUR DEATHS RECORDED TODAY
BRITAIN has today recorded its lowest daily death toll in over seven months – with four fatalities.
Cases have fallen by 17 per cent in a week with another 2,963 infections reported.
Today’s rise in fatalities is way lower than the 13 reported last Monday, and also below the 26 recorded a fortnight ago.
It marks the lowest death toll in the UK since September 1 last year, when three fatalities were reported.
Cases are also down 17 per cent on the 3,568 reported last Monday – and slightly higher than the 2,757 infections recorded on April 5.
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ANTIBODY BOOST
IN another boost to the UK’s vaccine rollout, data shows 98 per cent of 70-84 year-old now have antibodies, Mr Hancock told the Commons.
More than 10 million Brits have now had their second vaccination dose, it was confirmed today.
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OVER-50s UPTAKE IS 94%
THE vaccine uptake for over-50s is 94 per cent, Mr Hancock told MPs today.
Over-45 have been able to book their vaccine jab through the NHS website from last week.
Mr Hancock also said the booster jab will be rolled out “later this year” in a similar way to the first round of Covid vaccinations.