UK to speed up vaccinations, warns Indian variant may delay full reopening | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Monday
June 05, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
MONDAY, JUNE 05, 2023
UK to speed up vaccinations, warns Indian variant may delay full reopening

Coronavirus chronicle

Reuters
15 May, 2021, 10:40 am
Last modified: 15 May, 2021, 10:45 am

Related News

  • Minister seeks UK's support in dealing with climate change impacts
  • CAAB lifts Covid-19 restrictions on international air travel
  • Mirza Fakhrul hospitalised after testing Covid positive
  • UK provides additional support for Rohingya, host communities in Bangladesh after Cyclone Mocha
  • UK's seasonal agriculture visa scheme exposes migrant workers to serious risk of abuse: Experts

UK to speed up vaccinations, warns Indian variant may delay full reopening

The United Kingdom has delivered one of the world's fastest inoculation campaigns, giving a first shot to almost 70% of the adult population and a second to 36%, helping to reduce infection rates and deaths

Reuters
15 May, 2021, 10:40 am
Last modified: 15 May, 2021, 10:45 am
File Photo: A person in a protective suit near St James' Park as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Newcastle, Britain, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Lee Smith
File Photo: A person in a protective suit near St James' Park as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Newcastle, Britain, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Lee Smith

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday Britain would accelerate its Covid-19 vaccination programme, to try to contain a fast-spreading variant first identified in India that could knock a re-opening of the economy off track.

The United Kingdom has delivered one of the world's fastest inoculation campaigns, giving a first shot to almost 70% of the adult population and a second to 36%, helping to reduce infection rates and deaths.

But the emergence of the B.1.617.2 variant in parts of northern England and London has prompted some scientists to call for the reopening to be delayed, and a rethink on the speed of the vaccine rollout.

"I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation very closely because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter," Johnson told a news conference.

He said the government would accelerate remaining second doses to the over 50s and those clinically vulnerable to just eight weeks after the first dose, and would prioritise first doses for those eligible who had not yet come forward.

Even so, the spread of the variant could disrupt Britain's progress out of lockdown, making it more difficult to move to the final stage of a staggered reopening of the economy in June, he said.

Johnson had aimed to lift all restrictions on June 21, after allowing people in England from Monday to hug again, meet in small groups indoors and travel abroad.

Chris Whitty, England chief medical officer, said there was now confidence that B.1.617.2 was more transmissible than the "Kent" variant that fuelled England's second wave of infections. He said B.1.617.2 could come to dominate in Britain.

Public Health England said on Thursday there had been 1,313 cases in England of B.1.617.2 in a week, more than double the previous week's figure, with four confirmed deaths.

Whitty said so far there had not been a significant increase in hospitalisations from the variant, which may be because more people had been vaccinated.

But both Johnson and Whitty said it was still early days, and scientists would need to scrutinise data over the next two or three weeks to truly see the impact of the variant.

Britain put India on a travel "red list" in April, meaning all arrivals from India - now suffering the world's worst wave of Covid-19 - would have to pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Media reports at the time suggested that, because the quarantine requirement was announced four days in advance, many people had sought to fly beforehand. Britain has a large South Asian community.

Even with new variants, the government is likely to want to avoid repeating the regional curbs used last year, which ultimately failed to prevent two further national lockdowns.

At the national level, infections are still low, and fell for a fifth consecutive week in England, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed on Friday.

World+Biz

UK / COVID-19 / Covid-19 Indian variant

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • OPEC’s logo at its Vienna headquarters.Photographer: JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images
    Saudi Arabia's solo oil production cut is a risky strategy
  • Inflation reaches 9.94% in May; highest in over a decade: BBS
    Inflation reaches 9.94% in May; highest in over a decade: BBS
  • Photo: Collected
    Over 7,000 cases filed under DSA: Law minister

MOST VIEWED

  • Covid is no longer global health emergency: WHO
    Covid is no longer global health emergency: WHO
  • Federal police officers stand guard near the house of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, during a search operation at his home, in Brasilia, Brazil, 3 May, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
    Bolsonaro home raided, phone seized in Brazil vaccine records probe
  • World Health Organization logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo
    Covid here to stay but moving out of emergency phase: WHO
  • India's active case count now stands at 3.90 per cent. ( HT file Photo)
    India reports 12,591 new Covid cases today, 20% more than yesterday
  • People queue up outside a quick test centre to take their coronavirus disease (Covid-19) antigen rapid tests, in Singapore September 21, 2021. Photo :Reuters
    Singapore witnesses new Covid wave: ‘Cases are mostly mild’
  • India's active case count now stands at 3.90 per cent. ( HT file Photo)
    India logs 5,676 new Covid cases, active infections cross 37,000-mark

Related News

  • Minister seeks UK's support in dealing with climate change impacts
  • CAAB lifts Covid-19 restrictions on international air travel
  • Mirza Fakhrul hospitalised after testing Covid positive
  • UK provides additional support for Rohingya, host communities in Bangladesh after Cyclone Mocha
  • UK's seasonal agriculture visa scheme exposes migrant workers to serious risk of abuse: Experts

Features

Beating plastic pollution: Local startups build businesses around waste

Beating plastic pollution: Local startups build businesses around waste

10h | Panorama
New battleground of global powers

New battleground of global powers

1d | Panorama
Understanding the Indo-Pacific: A case of two rivalries

Understanding the Indo-Pacific: A case of two rivalries

1d | Panorama
US and its allies in the Ind-Pacific

US and its allies in the Ind-Pacific

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Young Entrepreneurs Beating Plastic Pollution

Young Entrepreneurs Beating Plastic Pollution

8h | TBS Stories
The fitness industry of Bangladesh tries to reshape from corona effect

The fitness industry of Bangladesh tries to reshape from corona effect

22h | TBS Stories
Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

1d | TBS World
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's food on the streets of Dhaka

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's food on the streets of Dhaka

1d | TBS Food

Most Read

1
bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership
Banking

bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership

2
Boeing offers Biman its latest 787-10 Dreamliner
Bangladesh

Boeing offers Biman its latest 787-10 Dreamliner

3
Photo: Noor-A-Alam/TBS
Splash

The Night Dhaka did NOT vibe with Anuv Jain

4
Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid
Energy

Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid

5
Photo: TBS
Environment

Green space in Dhaka North declines 66% in 3 decades: Study

6
File Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
Bangladesh

Low-cost housing planned for 4 lakh Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar workers

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]