‘In a few days’ we’ll know if Indian variant will delay 21 June easing out of lockdown

Speaking at a vaccination centre today the Prime Minister told reporters the Indian variant is “under very close observation.”

He said that “in a few days time” we will know more about the Indian variant and if it could delay the roadmap out of lockdown.

Johnson said the situation is being kept “under very close observation” and said “we’ll know a lot more in a few days’ time.

“We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don’t see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map.

“We’ll know a lot more in a few days’ time.”

Johnson’s official spokesman said the Prime Minister told senior Ministers he wants to work through the roadmap to lift all restrictions in England.

He said, “The Prime Minister set out the government’s desire to continue to work through the road map following the move to step three yesterday.

“He concluded Cabinet by re-stating the important need to closely watch the data in the coming days ahead of making decisions on step four.”

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the meeting that “comprehensive work” to provide more vaccines along with “surge testing” in areas with high cases was continuing, the spokesman added.

Earlier today the Environment Secretary, George Eustice has warned that easing of restrictions could be delayed and local lockdowns could be imposed.

Hancock told MPs in the Commons on Monday that the Indian variant has almost doubled in a week to 2,323 cases.