Dozens of further Delta variant cases identified in Lancaster

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Covid-19 mutation that originated in India now makes up 91 per cent of new cases in the UK, with evidence suggesting it may be more dangerous than the Alpha – formerly known as the Kent – variation.

Public Health England figures show 72 cases of the Delta variant had been recorded in Lancaster by June 9 - 61 more than the 11 cases recorded the week before.

Those identified in the latest week were among at least 16,825 cases of the VOC-21APR-02 mutation recorded across the north west – the worst affected of England's nine regions.

By contrast, the south west had recorded at least 563 cases by June 9.

Different PHE figures show that 42 people across England had died with the Delta variant as of June 7.

Of them, 23 were unvaccinated, seven had received their first dose more than 21 days prior and 12 died more than two weeks after receiving their second jab.

The figures also show that two thirds of the 1,234 people who attended A&E in England between February 1 and June 7 and who were confirmed as having the Delta variant of coronavirus were unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, latest figures show the Covid-19 infection rate in the Lancaster district has continued to rise in the last two weeks – although numbers still remain close to the national average and far lower than many other parts of Lancashire.

116 people in Lancaster reported positive Covid tests in the seven days up to June 15 (an increase of 23 or 24.7 per cent on the previous week) – and the city currently has an infection rate of 81 based on a rolling seven-day period up to June 11.

This is based on the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, and compares with an England average of 73.

And it compares favourably with areas of east Lancashire, where Blackburn has the highest infection rate in the county with 595.0.

As of Tuesday June 8 there were three patients in Morecambe Bay trust hospitals being treated for Covid-19, two on a ventilator.

A total of 2,019 patients with Covid-19 have been admitted to UHMBT since the pandemic began, as of June 6.

Meanwhile, on May 25 a death from Covid-19 was recorded within a Morecambe Bay hospital for the first time since early April.

There have now been 94,043 people in Lancaster vaccinated with their first dose, up to June 14, which accounts for 71.6 per cent of the adult population, while 73,953 have received their second dose – 56.3 per cent of the adult population.