On Sunday, the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the recent Indian COVID-19 variant is more transmissible by 40% than the local strain in the kingdom.
He told Sky News: “That figure, around 40 percent more transmissible, is indeed the latest advice I have," adding that COVID-19 vaccines can provide people with protection from both variants.
The recent mutated version of the Coronavirus is currently emerging in the UK which can threat the government's intention of lifting the pandemic restrictions.
He commented that the emerging of the Indian variant "does make the calculation more difficult for June 21."
So, Hancock explained: “We’ll look at the data for another week and then make a judgement,” he told the BBC on Sunday, asserting that the government was “absolutely open” to review the decision once again.
It's worthy to mention that the UK was one of the earliest countries that established national vaccination campaign by using Pfizer vaccine.
Until now, the kingdom fully vaccinated more than 27 million, in addition, more than 40 million people received the first dose of the vaccine.
Follow the latest news on Google News
