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After an additional week of lockdown, ministers and health experts believe the latest data shows that “things are looking good” and suggest the UK’s fantastic vaccination programme is once again paying off. Speaking to The Daily Mail, Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, urged the public not to get careless as we approach the expected end of lockdown on July 19.
She said: “Through the success of our vaccination programme, data suggest we have begun to break the link between cases and hospitalisations.
“This is hugely encouraging news, but we cannot become complacent.
“Two doses of vaccine are far more effective against Covid-19 than a single dose, so please make sure that you come forward to get your second dose as soon as you are invited.”
Ms Harries comment comes as the UK has identified six cases of the Lambda variant first discovered in Peru.
The strain is currently a “variant under investigation” and much like other strains, it has mutations which can make the virus more transmissible or resistant to vaccines.
All six cases in the UK have been linked to overseas travel.
The Lambda variant, while new to the UK, is most prevalent in South America and contributes to over 80 percent of cases in Peru.
Data from Public Health England suggests 95 percent of all confirmed Covid cases in the UK are from the Delta variant and have now recorded over 111,000 since it was first identified.
READ MORE: Boris to battle EU over Brits summer holidays
In addition, ministers are still debating whether to keep mask wearing measures in place after the July 19 easing.
Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News: “Well, what we want to do on July 19, and the Prime Minister said that the data looks good to be able to have that end, is to remove all of the legal restrictions.
“That’s all of the legal requirements to do things, to be taken away completely.
“Now, whether there will still be some people who might choose to wear masks or whether it may be advisory in some settings, that’s a separate matter.
“But the objective of that final stage is to remove the legal requirement to do these things.”
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