Covid 19: Small number of Indian variant cases in Huddersfield

Close contacts at a school attended by some in the household are being urged to get tested

A small number of cases of the so-called Indian variant of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Huddersfield.

Kirklees Council said the cases had been identified in one household and some of them were pupils at a local school, which it did not name.

Rachel Spencer-Henshall, director of public health for Kirklees, said there was "currently no evidence to suggest this was transmitted at the school".

Close contacts at the school are being asked to get tested.

Ms Spencer-Henshall said: "Any pupils or staff at the school classed as a close contact - as well as those they share a household with - are being asked to take a PCR test, to help us to identify any variant of concern cases so that we can contain the spread."

She said the household and their contacts had isolated at the time of their initial positive tests.

"Now we know this is related to a variant of concern, we must be extra cautious and do everything we can to prevent its spread," she added.

"There is no evidence to suggest this variant causes more severe illness than any other variant currently circulating in the UK, but it is understood to spread more easily."

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there were now 86 local authorities with five or more confirmed cases of the Indian Covid variant.

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