Covid-19: Surge testing and jabs expanded, as EU looks to open up

Surge protection and impacts are expanded to six new areas The health minister said he was concerned in England about fighting the spread of India’s variant of Covid. They are Bedford, Burnley, Hounslow, Kirklees, Leicester and North Tyneside. The Scottish authorities are taking similar action in Glasgow and Moray. According to Matt Hancock, 2,967 cases of the variant have now been identified in the UK – up from around 2,300 on Monday. He added that of 25 people at the Bolton hospital with Covid, the majority are completely unvaccinated and 90% have not yet received two doses of the vaccine. Earlier, the prime minister said there was “increasing confidence” that Covid-19 vaccines are effective against all variants, including Indian ones.