Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a four week delay to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in England, with the original 21st June date expected to be pushed back to Monday 19th July, with concerns of the spread of the Delta variant the main reason behind the decision to delay.
Scientists have expressed concern over the spread of the variant, particularly in parts of London and North West England and with the news that the variant could be 60% more transmissible and slightly more resistant to vaccines in comparison to other variants, including the variant first discovered in Kent.
Boris Johnson is expected to announce the delay when he addresses the nation tomorrow evening. One thing that is being rumoured that could still go ahead is the planned relaxation to the number of guests allowed at weddings. Whilst it’s unlikely that there will be a total lifting on restrictions at weddings, it’s expected that the current limit of 30 guests will be raised, however no official indication has been given yet. Boris Johnson is also expected to confirm that the government will continues to go ahead with trial sporting events and concerts, with the aim to have increased crowds in venues across the country later this summer.
The spread of the Indian (Delta) variant in Herefordshire has been fairly limited so far, but data for the seven days ending 9th June shows a COVID-19 (Delta) infection rate in Herefordshire of 16.6 cases per 100,000 population, indicating that there are around 30 cases of this particular variant in Herefordshire.
Hospital admissions in Herefordshire remain low, but there has been an increase in other parts of The Midlands, as well as North West England and parts of London over recent days.
