London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Covid: Indian variant 'now dominant' in the UK

Covid: Indian variant 'now dominant' in the UK

The variant of coronavirus first identified in India is now the dominant strain in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

The number of cases confirmed by laboratory analysis rose by 79% over the last week to 12,431.

Scientists believe the variant, now known as Delta, has overtaken the Kent, or Alpha, variant.

They say that there may also be a higher risk of hospitalisation linked to the Delta variant.

But that is based on early evidence, and PHE say more data is needed to have more confidence in the finding.

"With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible," said Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency.

"The way to tackle variants is to tackle the transmission of Covid-19 as a whole."

Health teams have been carrying out surge testing in Dewsbury, as well as other towns where the Indian variant is spreading

PHE said the most affected area of the country remains the north west of England.

Confirmed cases of the Delta variant in Bolton have risen by 795 over the past week to 2,149, with Blackburn with Darwen seeing a near doubling of cases to 724 in total.

But scientists say there is encouraging signs that the transmission rate in Bolton has begun to fall and that the actions taken by residents and local authority teams have been successful in reducing spread.


Early analyses from England and Scotland suggest that people infected with the Delta variant could be twice as likely to need hospital care.

But there are still low numbers of people being admitted to hospital with any variant, and PHE stress that more data are needed to confirm this analysis.

In the last week, 94 people in England were admitted to hospital after attending A&E with the Delta variant.

The majority had not yet been vaccinated.

And 6% had had both jabs.

PHE has also published a breakdown of outbreaks and clusters of variants in schools settings with cases rising in line with higher levels of the Delta variant in the community.

The latest data suggest that there have been 97 confirmed outbreaks in primary and secondary schools that have had at least one variant case linked to them over the most recent four-week period. That represents around one in 250 schools in the UK.

It said its protection teams continue to work closely with local authorities and academies to carry out surveillance to better understand and reduce transmission in these settings.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×