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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Laura Sharman and Tom Ambrose

UK Covid LIVE: Indian variant cases leap as second AstraZeneca vaccine dose lifts efficacy ‘to 90%’

People enjoy refreshments at tables set up outside a cafe in south Kensington

(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

UK cases of the variant first found in India have risen to 3,424, up by 2,111 compared to figures released last week, Public Health England has revealed.

The figures were revealed after Downing Street said it was “too early” to know whether the Indian variant could delay lifting all coronavirus restrictions on June 21.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: "At the moment we are keeping a very close eye on the data.”

It comes as those in their mid-30s, aged 34 and 35, have been invited to book their vaccine as of today. Thousands of text messages will be sent out to encourage to book.

They may be encouraged by the findings of a real-world study of the AstraZeneca vaccine which has found a second dose raises its efficacy to between 80 and 90 per cent.

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