England's health minister Matt Hancock has voiced his frustration that some people are still not getting the coronavirus vaccine, amid fears of the spread of the new Indian variant in the country.
He said the majority of people admitted to hospital in Bolton in northwest England, which has seen the biggest outbreak of B1.617.2 variant, had been eligible for the jab but had not taken it up.
In a statement to the UK parliament, he said vaccinations and testing had been “surged” across the town.
Mr Hancock said there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant in the UK, of which 483 were in Bolton and in Blackburn with Darwen.
Cases there had doubled in the past week, with 19 people in Bolton in hospital with the variant and eight in Blackburn, and that it was now the dominant strain in the area.
“The majority have not been vaccinated and, of them, most of them could have been vaccinated, which is frustrating to see, but is also a message to everyone,” Mr Hancock told MPs.
“It just reinforces the message that people should come forward and get vaccinated because that is the best way to protect everybody.”
In response, Mr Hancock said a rapid response team had been “surged” into the area to try to halt the spread of the variant, amid concerns it is more transmissible than the current dominant Kent strain.
It included the deployment of more than 50 additional vaccinators and the opening of two new vaccination centres and six testing centres.
Over the weekend, the rate of vaccination in Bolton quadrupled, with 6,200 people getting the jab.
“This is the biggest surge of resources into any specific local area we have seen in the pandemic so far,” Mr Hancock said.
He said that the figures for those in hospital suggested that the new variant had not so far penetrated the older, vaccinated population.
He stressed, however, that the variant was not confined to Bolton and Blackburn, with 86 local authorities in England now reporting five or more confirmed cases.
The next biggest area of concern was Bedford, where testing was also now being surged, he said.
His warning came after the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, cautioned last week that the spread of the Indian variant could jeopardise plans for the final lifting of lockdown in England.
Downing Street said updates on plans for domestic coronavirus “passports”, announcements on easing social distancing requirements and further guidance on weddings, due later this month, could now be delayed.
“We need time to assess the latest data on this variant first identified in India so I’m not going to give a set time for doing that,” Mr Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters on Monday.
It came as restrictions were eased across England, Scotland and Wales with the return of indoor socialising and the reopening of pubs and restaurants for indoor dining and drinking.
Ministers have however urged people to exercise caution in enjoying their new freedoms amid fears among some scientists about a possible resurgence of the disease.
Meanwhile, an analysis by the PA news agency found the Covid-19 rates in the worst hotspots in the UK were being driven by a sharp rise in cases among younger age groups.
Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen, and Bedford all have case rates among younger people that are running at a much higher level than those for older age groups.
