A coronavirus variant that was first detected in India has been found in 86 districts across the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
Authorities have identified 2,323 cases of the variant, with cases doubling in the past week in Bolton and Blackburn in England, Hancock said.
With 86 local authorities confirmed to have five or more cases of the variant, Hancock said it was vital that people get vaccinated. Most people with the variant known as B.1.617.2 in areas around Bolton hadn’t received a vaccine shot, he said.
