Delta variant cases rise by 50,824 in UK, hospitalisations remain low
London: The Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread in the UK with a further 50,824 cases logged on Friday, marking a 46 per cent increase over the previous week, according to health officials.
While the infections are rising, there has not been a corresponding rise in the number of hospitalisations with COVID-19, indicating that the vaccinations are effective against the highly transmissible variant first identified in India, Public Health England (PHE) said.
Of the 50,824 cases of Delta B1.617.2 variant over the past week, 42 are from the Delta AY.1 sub lineage with the mutation K417N which is feared to be more vaccine resistant.
Cases across the UK continue to rise and it is incredibly important that we do not forget to be careful, said Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency.
Although cases are rising, we are not seeing a proportional rise in the number of people who are being admitted to hospital. The data suggest this is testament to the success of the vaccination programme so far and clearly demonstrates the importance of getting both doses of the vaccine, she said, urging people to come forward for their vaccines.
It will help us to break the chain of transmission, and it will save lives, she said.
The genomic sequencing data released by PHE weekly on the variants of concern (VOCs) and variants under investigation (VUIs) show that the Alpha VOC, first identified in the English county of Kent, accounts for the second highest infections in the country.
An additional 823 COVID-19 cases were logged of the Alpha VOC, followed by 11 of the Beta VOC first detected in South Africa.
The latest data comes as the UK recorded 27,989 new daily cases of coronavirus on Thursday, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicating that extra precautions may have to stay in place as the country prepares to lift lockdown restrictions on July 19.
The government is also expected to review the travel list again this month, with only a few countries on the green list of free travel at the moment, while much of Europe remains on the amber list.
Meanwhile, India along with South America and Africa and most other countries remain on the travel ban red list, requiring compulsory hotel quarantine for British residents.
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2 detained after comment over wedding procession to Dalit house sparks clash in UP's Shahjahanpur
Shahjahanpur (UP) (PTI): Two persons have been detained after a clash broke out allegedly over remarks targeting a Dalit family's wedding procession in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, police said on Saturday.
The incident occurred in Lai Kheda village under Tilhar police station area, where a wedding procession from Bareilly had arrived at a Dalit household on April 20.
According to SP Saurabh Dixit, when the procession was near the house of Rajpal Yadav, he allegedly made a remark saying "Now, Dalits will also take out wedding processions riding a buggy", leading to an argument. Yadav's side allegedly turned aggressive, escalating the conflict further.
Police said a scuffle ensued between the two sides. Upon receiving information, police personnel reached the spot and ensured that the procession was conducted peacefully after the incident.
An FIR was registered on Friday against Rajpal Yadav, Sumit, Amit, Surendra, Avdhesh Yadav and five unidentified persons based on a complaint. Rajpal Yadav and his son Sumit have been taken into custody and are being questioned, Dixit said.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
Dixit said preliminary findings suggest that Yadav, too, was hosting a function and processions from both sides had arrived around the same time. A dispute may have initially arisen due to a narrow passage and attempts to move the processions quickly.
Police have registered the case under relevant sections of the BNS and initiated further probe, officials said.
