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The Delta variant, which was first discovered in India earlier this year, now accounts for 90 percent of coronavirus cases across the UK. New data from Public Health England shows that the number of confirmed cases has jumped from 42,323 to 75,953, a spike of nearly 80 percent.
The number of people needing hospitalisation more than doubled, jumping to 806 from 383 in the past week.
Only one in ten of these cases were fully vaccinated.
Promising figures suggest two doses of vaccine work well against the strain, although one is not very effective.
Deaths from the Delta variant increased from 42 to 73, not rising at the same rate prior to availability of coronavirus vaccines.
Experts now think the strain is up to 60 percent more transmissible than the Kent strain, which led to England’s third national lockdown in January.
The hardest-hit areas of the UK have been concentrated in the north and the midlands, with Bolton in Greater Manchester the worst affected area.
Other badly hit parts of the country include Manchester, Blackburn, Birmingham and Leeds.
Yesterday the highest number of cases since February 19, the middle of the second wave, were recorded with 11,007 positive tests.
“Please make sure that you come forward to receive both doses of the vaccine as soon as you are eligible.
“Don’t drop your guard – practice “hands, face, space, fresh air” at all times.”
However, it’s not all bad news, as data shows that vaccines are working well against life threatening illness.
Just 84 out of 806 admissions were among people who had been given both vaccine doses.
Data shows 135 hospitalisations happened after protection from their first dose has set in.
An additional 587 were among those who have not yet been vaccinated, unknown, or had had their first dose within the past three week
Professor Tim Spector, the King’s College London epidemiologist who runs the Covid Symptom Study, said: “The numbers this week seem to be slowing down, which is good news.
“Worrying areas with a high number of cases like Scotland and the North West are starting to level off.
“I’m predicting based on past experience that, although we may not have reached the peak quite yet, within two weeks we will see cases beginning to drop again.”
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