The Covid-19 strain first detected in India will “get everywhere” unless an outbreak in north-west England is contained, a leading scientist said, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted he was "anxious" about the spread of the variant.
Prof James Naismith, a biologist and director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, told authorities that the strain should be viewed as a "countrywide problem" and attempts to localise restrictions on Bolton in Greater Manchester to tackle a surge in cases would probably fail.
"It will get everywhere – we keep learning this lesson but we know this will be the case," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Thursday.
“When we tried having different restrictions in different regions, it didn’t really make any difference. A localised strategy for containment will not work.”
Mr Johnson said the country's road map out of lockdown was still on track despite the concerns.
"We are anxious about it - it has been spreading," he said.
"We're ruling nothing out. "At the moment I can see nothing that dissuades me from thinking we'll be able to go ahead on Monday and June 21 everywhere."
The government’s Sage committee of scientific advisers will meet on Thursday as fears over the coronavirus variant continue to grow.
Bolton has one of the highest instances of the Indian variant in the UK, with a particularly sharp increase in case numbers among unvaccinated people under the age of 25.
There is speculation that from Monday, Bolton might not join England’s next stage of lockdown easing when hospitality venues open for indoor service and people are allowed to visit each other’s homes.
Everyone aged over 18 in Blackburn, another town in northern England, will be offered the Covid-19 vaccine after a surge in the Indian variant.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government “can’t rule anything out” when pressed on the issue of local lockdowns on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Imperial College London’s React study of coronavirus cases, based on swab tests between April 15 and May 3, found the UK infection rate was half the rate recorded in March.
However, the Indian variant could be spreading faster, at least in London, than the strain first identified in Kent in south-east England last year. The highly transmissible UK variant generated the surge in cases in December that led to England’s third national lockdown.
There were 1,723 cases of the Indian variant identified in the study, more than three times the 520 infections detected last week by Public Health England.
Prof Paul Elliott, director of the React programme, said little was known about the Indian variant.
“We need to understand more about it,” he said.
Prof Tom Wenseleers of the University of Leuven in the Netherlands, who led a separate study, also sounded the alarm over the spread of the Indian strain based on cases occurring in people with no recent travel history. He said it was “outcompeting the Kent variant in terms of relative representation”.
“It is likely this Indian variant of concern does have a growth advantage over the Kent variant,” he said.
Prof Naismith said his gut feeling was that the UK might be forced to hold off on the fourth and final step of lockdown easing on June 21 if the strain was found to evade immunity from vaccines.
“The vaccines don’t 100 per cent prevent infection for people but they almost 100 per cent prevent hospital admission and serious illness,” he said.
“We don’t know enough about whether the Indian strain will behave differently to that.”
Mr Johnson told the House of Commons on Wednesday there was “increasing concern” about the Indian variant.
“It may be more transmissible ... maybe even considerably more transmissible,” he said.
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Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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SPECS
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Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
%3Cp%3E%0DDeveloper%3A%20Ubisoft%20Bordeaux%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Ubisoft%0D%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20Series%20S%26amp%3BX%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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