Public Health England statement on Covid-19 Indian variant
14 May 2021 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Public Health England has issued a statement on current levels of the Covid-19 Indian variant in the region:
A small number of cases of the COVID-19 Indian variant known as VOC-21APR-02 have been detected in the North East.
This variant has been classified as a ‘variant of concern’, however, there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, increased risk of mortality or makes the current vaccines any less effective.
Public Health England (PHE) North East health protection teams are working with local authorities, Directors of Public Health and NHS Test and Trace to implement tailored public health actions to detect cases of the variant, limit onward spread and mitigate the impact on local communities.
Latest figures published on Thursday 13 May show there are 19 cases identified with the VOC-21APR-02 variant across the region. Three of which are travel related. This figure reflects 1.5% of all cases in the North East and is the lowest figure across all regions in England.
Professor Peter Kelly, Regional Director of Public Health England North East, said: “As we progress through the roadmap variants are likely to be part of how we live with COVID-19 and it is vital that we adapt and respond to the changing nature of the virus to protect our region and North East communities.
“We are not seeing many cases of the Indian Variant of Concern in the North East compared to other parts of the country; however, we must not be complacent with this or any other variant.
"Our public health advice to everyone remains the same: the best way to stop the spread of the virus is to follow the guidelines - remember hands, face, space and fresh air, get vaccinated and take up the offer of regular testing.
“It is more important than ever that people come forward for PCR testing and to isolate when they have symptoms, no matter how mild, in order to find cases and break chains of transmission and have asymptomatic testing when requested by their local health protection and public health teams. Everyone can order free rapid tests to their home.
“If everyone plays their part by continuing to follow the health advice in their area, we can help to break the chain of transmission and protect our loved ones.”