UK considers up to 4-week delay to end of lockdown due to Delta variant: Report

In the light of rise in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19, the UK government is considering a delay of up to four weeks from the scheduled June 21 end to all lockdown restrictions.

The UK government is considering a delay of up to four weeks from the scheduled June 21 end to all lockdown restrictions amid a continuing rise in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19, according to a media report on Saturday. It comes as the country reported 8,125 new Covid-19 cases in a 24-hour period, another record daily high since the end of February, and Public Health England (PHE) found that infections from the Delta variant the B1.617.2 variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India rose by nearly 30,000 in a week to hit 42,323. Downing Street sources told the BBC that no final decision has been made yet and that several options are being evaluated as the latest data is studied before UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a scheduled announcement regarding lockdown on Monday.