Hertfordshire Covid: Indian variant set to be named variant of concern after more cases discovered
The variant is thought to have been found in the North West, London and Birmingham
Coronavirus tests being processed (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
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A coronavirus strain first reported in India is like to be considered a variant of concern after clusters were found in the North West, London, and the East Midlands.
DORSET residents are being encouraged to take part in a challenge to clean up the county. This June, Litter Free Dorset wants to give everyone the chance to improve their local area at a time that suits them. This initiative by the community campaign is supported by Queen Mary University of London and co-financed by the Interreg France (Channel) England programme through the Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) project. PPP project leader at Queen Mary University of London, Dr Iwan Jones said: Joining in the challenge can help to clear up your local environment, but providing us with your data can help us to develop solutions to the problem of plastic pollution, which can then be utilised across the channel region as well as further afield.
Indian Covid set to be named variant of concern in UK
Cases of the variant are thought to have been found in schools, care homes and places of worship in the North West, London and the East Midlands
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A coronavirus strain first detected in India is likely to be elevated to a “variant of concern” after clusters were found in several areas of England, according to reports.
New avoidable plastics project celebrates diversity
The Islamic Festival Eid al-Fitr is at the heart of a new diversity project encouraging sustainable behaviour changes during faith-based celebrations.
From: Celebrate the Islamic Festival of Eid al-Fitr and help the environment by making sustainable changes
The celebration is the first of a series of events from multiple faiths being highlighted by the Environment Agency as part of the Interreg Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) programme, which aims to reach a wider audience with its avoidable plastics message.
Eid al-Fitr (12 and 13 May), also called the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’, is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
The strain – B1617.2 – is one of three related variants first seen in India which have been detected in the UK and designated “under investigation” by PHE.
The others are B1617.1 and B1617.3.
According to Channel 4 News, there have been at least 48 clusters of B1617.2, although overall numbers remain small.
PHE said updates on the number of cases due to be released on Thursday have been delayed due to “processing issues”.
According to the most recent data by PHE, there have been 193 confirmed cases of the B1617.1 variant, up by 61 since the last update on April 21.
The first report on the B1617.2 variant shows 202 cases, and the first report on the B1617.3 variant shows just five cases.