Steps against B.1.617.2 Strain ‘Conflicting and Confused’: Britain is in the midst of a response dilemma over the B.1.617 Covid strain first found in India that seems easy to describe but difficult to resolve. On the one hand, it has upgraded it from a ‘variant under observation’ to a ‘variant of concern’, and is recording
Steps against B.1.617.2 Strain ‘Conflicting and Confused’: Britain is in the midst of a response dilemma over the B.1.617 Covid strain first found in India that seems easy to describe but difficult to resolve. On the one hand, it has upgraded it from a ‘variant under observation’ to a ‘variant of concern’, and is recording steadily rising and spreading cases of this mutation of the virus. On the other hand, it took a giant step this week on relaxing the lockdown. Restaurants were opened, large gatherings allowed outdoors, and smaller ones indoors. Such easing is certain to increase the number of cases that the government is concerned about. Foreign travel has been allowed to some countries, but apparently not for holidaying. The opposition Labour party has said the government is “giving out conflicting and confused advice”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to make matters clearer later this week.
Spread of New Strain Fast and Furious: British scientists are working round the clock to figure out just how much more transmissible the B.1.617.2 variant of the virus is relative to others. The chief medical officer for England Prof Chris Whitty has said it appears more transmissible than the UK variant, or the Kent variant as it was also called, that spread devastatingly across Britain in the winter. That strain then was said to be 50 to 70 per cent more transmissible than the earlier variant. The extent of transmissibility of this one is critical to containing the spread and determining whether there can be a complete end to the lockdown. The lockdown is due to be lifted fully in Britain on June 21 – unless the B.1.617.2 variant spreads too fast and too seriously. A lot of British see their near future in ‘Indian’ hands.
India’s Red-listing ‘Not Red Enough’: New concerns are being raised in Britain that the red-listing of India for travel purposes seems not red enough. Flights from India have not been banned outright, they are bringing in British passport holders and Indians who are resident in Britain. One publication counted 110 flights from India by Tuesday, after India had been placed on the red list. Flights have been banned outright from 11 red-list countries, including Brazil and South Africa. The red-listing for India, as for Pakistan and Bangladesh, means that arriving passengers have to quarantine for ten days in a government-designated hotel. Given the concerns over the B.1.617.2 variant, many in the media are asking why the steps against India are still relatively lenient compared to some others.
Germany Grapples with B.1.617.2 Variant: It is Germany’s turn now to worry about the B.1.617.2 variant. Residents in two tower blocks in Velbert town have been placed under quarantine after one woman in a block tested positive with the new strain. She was found positive during a routine test and is not believed to have had travel connections with India. A number of others have also tested positive in these blocks but the B.1.617.2 variant was initially confirmed in one case. The results in other cases are due later this week, The B.1.617.2 variant has been confirmed in 260 cases across Germany, and the numbers are rising.
Mallya’s Maladies: A London court order on Tuesday has cleared one hurdle away from the path of a consortium of Indian banks seeking to seize Vijay Mallya’s assets in Britain to recover some of the money he owes them. Mallya had argued that the banks cannot pursue him for his assets in the UK while holding his assets in India in securities. The court order now allows the banks, on their request, to waive their securities in India. But that does not liberate them for Mallya to access. The banks’ waiver on securities would be conditional on an order passed in their favour in the UK court. The final arguments on this are due to heard on July 26.
Comment List