Covid Indian variant found in three Berkshire boroughs

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The Covid Indian variant has been found in Berkshire, with three boroughs showing traces.

The variant has already been detected in 127 local authorities in the week ending May 8, as the strain continues to spread.

On Monday (May 17), Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that 2,323 cases of the Indian variant had been found in the UK.

The spread comes as millions of people enjoy the latest easing of lockdown restrictions, and the reintroduction of hugging, kissing and sharing indoor spaces.

As of May 17, people in England were finally able to welcome up to six people into their homes, and have physical contact with close friends and family.

Monday also saw the return of international travel through the likes of Heathrow Airport, although India remains on the "red list" due to the number of cases of coronavirus.

The new strain is believed to be more transmissible than previous strains, and a number of people have been hospitalised despite having their coronavirus vaccinations.

Boris Johnson warned that it could affect the end of the final stage of lockdown, which was due to ease on June 21.

According to Wellcome Sanger Institute data, the new strain has been found in Reading, Slough and Bracknell Forest.

Slough Borough Council are not planning surge testing at this time. We have reached out to Reading Borough Council and Bracknell Forest for comment.

The data does not show how many cases there are, but how many samples have been processed and sequenced.

In the two weeks leading up to May 8, Reading had an average of 2.5 genomes per week – the highest in the county.

Slough had an average of two genomes per week and Bracknell Forest saw an average of one.

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Areas like Bedford continue to see the highest rates in the country, with closer areas also seeing a huge number of cases.

The bordering Berkshire area of Hounslow saw an average of 13 genomes over the two week period, and Hillingdon saw 9.5.

It’s not believed that the virus is any more severe than the Kent variant that took dominance earlier in the year, and caused the third national lockdown.

It’s also believed that the vaccines remain effective against the new strain.