Updated Friday, 28th May 2021, 5:28 pm Up to 278 more cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus have been detected in Bedford, new figures reveal. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said up to three-quarters of new coronavirus cases nationally are the Indian variant, though he stressed the vaccines are helping to keep hospital admissions down. Earlier today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock The gene is not present in the dominant Kent variant, which was responsible for a surge in cases over the winter, but is present in other variants of concern, including those from India. Scientists have determined that the vast majority of the S-gene specimens identified across England are the Indian variant.