Covid: Sefton surge testing as India variant cases identified

PCR tests are taken at a test site or at home, with results processed by a lab

Surge testing has been rolled out to parts of Sefton, Merseyside, after cases of the India variant of coronavirus were found.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said a number of cases had been discovered in Formby, although it did not confirm how many.

Everyone over the age of 16 who lives and works in the area should take a PCR test, the government said.

Sefton had 54 Covid cases per 100,000 people in the week ending 9 May.

The DHSC said confirmed cases of the India variant had self-isolated and contacts were identified.

NHS Test and Trace is providing additional testing and genomic sequencing with Sefton Council.

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Public Health England revealed earlier cases of the India variant had risen from 520 to 1,313 over the past week in the UK.

It said cases were "rising in the community" and it was assessing the impact and severity of the variant.

During a visit to a primary school earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "anxious" about the India variant and suggested new local measures could be brought in to combat the spread, should it get out of control.

Asked if local lockdowns were possible, Mr Johnson said: "There are a range of things we could do, we want to make sure we grip it.

"Obviously there's surge testing, there's surge tracing."

The India variant - officially called B.1.617.2 - is one of four mutated versions of coronavirus which have been designated as being "of concern" by UK public health bodies.

Experts believe the India variant has mutations that may make it more transmissible, but it is not yet known if it causes more severe disease or if it might make current vaccines less effective.

Other recorded cases of the India variant in the UK have included cases in Bolton, London, Tyneside and Nottingham.