For all the latest news from in and around Bolton, sign up for the free MyBolton newsletter A coronavirus strain first detected in India has been escalated to a “variant of concern”, Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed today.
Figures show cases of the variant have increased to 520 from 202 over the last week, and almost half of these cases are related to travel or contact with a traveller.
The cases are spread across the country, with the majority in two areas – the North West, predominately in Bolton, and London, PHE said.
The decision to reclassify the variant is based on evidence which suggests it is at least as transmissible as a strain known as the Kent variant, PHE said.