HEALTH chief Steve Maddern says his team continues to monitor the situation as a Covid variant first identified in India spreads across the UK.

The strain is one of three related variants first seen in India detected in this country.

Cases are thought to have been found in schools, care homes and places of worship in the North West, London and East Midlands, largely linked to travel.

It has been designated a 'variant of concern' by Public Health England yesterday as it appears to be spreading more quickly than the two other identified subtypes of the Indian variant.

According to data by PHE released yesterday, there are 520 confirmed cases of the new variant in the UK, up from 202 over the last week.

Swindon’s director of public health Mr Maddern said: “We have concerns about any Covid variant that poses a threat to the health of residents – particularly those that are known or have the potential to be highly transmissible or non-respondent to current public health action.

“The Indian variant is strongly linked to travel from red list counties.

“The management of the Indian variant falls under the current public health advice – to test and isolate, along with close contacts.

“All those now returning from red list countries must self-isolate in a government quarantine facility for 10 days upon re-entry to the UK.

“We continue to monitor the situation for variants and will undertake appropriate public health action as and when required.”

Asked about his concerns on the Indian variant of Covid-19, prime minister Boris Johnson said: “We’ve got to be very careful about that.

“We’re doing a huge amount to make sure that where we do find outbreaks of the Indian variant that we do surge testing and isolate it.

“And also have very tough controls on transport and on people coming in.”

Swindon’s seven-day rolling infection rate is 28.8 cases per 100,000 people.

Mr Maddern said: “We have low cases in the over-60s and no cases in the over-75s, while the majority of cases are young adults aged between 15 and 44.

“We anticipated that we would see a rise in cases related to the return to school and the lessening of restrictions.

“Although the case rates are higher than national and regional averages, the overall numbers are low, and are going back in the right direction again.

“We anticipate some further turbulence as we continue through the government roadmap with changes expected on May 17 and June 21.”