How many cases of the Indian Covid variant are in Watford?

The strain, thought up to 50 per cent easier to spread, has overwhelmed Indian health services and is believed to be responsible for sharp Covid increases in parts of England such as Bolton.

In Watford there were 11 cases recorded by Public Health England between May 8 and May 14, which comes after it previously reported seven cases between May 2 and May 8.

The public health body warned it has counted any tests conducted on May 8 twice.

Mayor Peter Taylor last week confirmed the variant had been found locally but Hertfordshire’s director for public health had said the number in the county is currently “not a serious concern”.

But he did warn the next month could be “bumpy” after restrictions eased – adding an outbreak that “could affect a lot of people” may occur in just 16 days’ time.

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Public Health England has been tracking the spread of the B.1.617.2 mutation – which originated in India – by testing positive Covid-19 cases across the country for an "S-gene".

Scientists have determined that the vast majority of S-gene specimens identified across England in May are the Indian variant, with the majority of areas in England having now reported at least one case. 

The data comes as a separate PHE study found both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were highly effective against the Indian strain after a second dose.

However, the same study found they were only 33 per cent effective three weeks after the first dose.

The efficacy of the vaccines against the new variants is seen as a major obstacle blocking the next stage of the roadmap, but the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency said the possibility of restrictions being eased on June 21 was “looking good”.

However, Dr Jenny Harries urged the public to be cautious to avoid another lockdown, warning that the new Indian variant has become the “dominant strain” in some parts of the country.

She told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “It’s looking good if people are continuing to observe all of the safety signals, so we should not stop doing what we’re doing, particularly in areas where we have that variant of concern."

From June 21 at the earliest, nightclubs are due to reopen and restrictions on large events such as festivals are to be lifted, as are restrictions on the number of people at weddings.

However, Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, believes there may be “adjustment” to the lifting of restrictions.