B.1.617.2 Variant Becoming Dominant in Parts of UK: Surge testing has been ordered in new areas of Britain to detect growing clusters of the B.1.617.2 variant of the virus that was first discovered in India. Surge testing has been ordered now in parts of London and in Bedford town north of England which also has
B.1.617.2 Variant Becoming Dominant in Parts of UK: Surge testing has been ordered in new areas of Britain to detect growing clusters of the B.1.617.2 variant of the virus that was first discovered in India. Surge testing has been ordered now in parts of London and in Bedford town north of England which also has a significant Indian population, though fewer of the cases being seen now seem to have arisen from travel to India. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament on Monday that this new variant has become dominant already in parts of England. The number of cases has doubled over the past week now to 2,323. The new variant has now spread significantly across London, there are 86 Council areas across England among 343 that now report five or more cases of the new strain of the virus – and who hasn’t seen how fast this can spread. But Britain now has a substantial vaccine defence in place.
Covid Effect Worst among Muslims: Scientists at several UK centres are grappling with an understanding of the spread of the virus along religious lines. Data from the UK’s Office of National Statistics is being examined further following indications that the virus has spread twice as fast among Muslims as among Christians, and, oddly, three times faster than among atheists. The infection rate among Muslim men up to the end of February this year was about a thousand per 100,000, and among Muslim women about half that. The death rate for Hindus was 605.2 among men and 346.5 for women, among Sikhs 573.6 and 345.7, Jews 512.9 and 295.4, and Christians 401.9 and 249.6. Among atheists, it was 336.6 and 249.6. One reason for the difference suggested by commentators is that the minorities tend to work more in low-income public-facing jobs.
Restaurants Open, But Customers Cagey: A large number of restaurants opened across Britain on Monday – and given that Indian restaurants are the most popular among the lot, the doors opened to dine in and dine Indian. But not that many walked in for that Indian dinner out. People appeared to have taken the government warning on board to remain cautious. A significant number, particularly the young, are still short of a double vaccination, and the new variant of the virus is now spreading in several areas. But Mondays are usually a lean day for restaurants. These are hoping business will pick up towards the weekend. That will depend primarily on how the new variant spreads or gets limited. Many are meanwhile taking advantage of eased limits that allow up to 30 people to meet outdoors, and up to six to meet indoors.
European Nations Look to Lock Britain out: The biggest step taken by Britain on Monday to emerge from lockdown comes as more and more European countries mull moves to declare Britain unsafe because of the rising cases of the new variant discovered in India. Germany is reported to be considering declaring Britain unsafe for travel, and Switzerland is planning to place Britain in its quarantine list. Airline bosses have been asking the UK government to ease travel restrictions to and from the US, the biggest chunk of the airline business. But the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant could jeopardise all that. As Britain emerges from its own lockdown, others are preparing to lock Britain out.
Cairn Keen to Snatch Air India Assets, But Needs Court Nod: The move launched by the UK firm Cairn Energy to seize Air India assets in the US could spread to other countries, it has indicated. Cairn moved a US court on May 14 to seize Air India aircraft and other assets in America to recover money awarded to it under an arbitration order in The Hague. The Hague tribunal had ordered the Indian government to pay 1.2 billion dollars to Cairn with another half a billion dollars added by way of costs and interest. Cairn says that government-owned companies such as Air India hold assets that are in fact the property of the Indian government and it should therefore be legitimate to seize them to recover its dues. But its moves would have to first get court sanction.
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