Rise in UK Delta-variant Covid cases should ‘ring alarm’ over lockdown lifting

A mobile Covid-19 vaccination centre outside Bolton Town Hall (Peter Byrne/PA)

The rise in coronavirus cases across England, with up to 96% of new cases estimated to be the Delta variant, should be ringing “alarm bells” ahead of lockdown being lifted, ministers are being warned.

The latest figures from Public Health England (PHE), published on Friday, show that 42,323 cases of the Delta variant first identified in India have been confirmed in the UK, up by 29,892 from last week.