19:28Up to three-quarters of new UK Covid cases are thought to be caused by the variant first detected in India, as the reported number more than doubled to almost 7,000, Matt Hancock said on Thursday. The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is now dominant in the UK and has been linked to a rise in cases in hotspots around the country. Data released on Thursday by Public Health England (PHE) shows 6,959 cases have been confirmed so far in the UK, up from 3,424 the week before. Meanwhile, experts said the link between Covid cases and hospital admissions had been greatly weakened but not broken. But experts say the link is not yet broken because only 44% of adults have received both Covid jabs and the vaccines do not offer 100% protection against hospitalisation.

Source: The Guardian May 27, 2021 05:36 UTC