Indian Covid variant detected in Sunderland
It's been confirmed in the last 24hours that the Indian variant of Coronavirus has been found in Sunderland.
The council say a small amount of people are not self-isolating - they haven't given us exact numbers or locations.
Gerry Taylor, Executive Director of Public Health, Sunderland City Council said:
"We currently have a very small number of confirmed cases of the Indian variant in Sunderland. All public health measures are being followed and cases are self-isolating. We will not disclose further information due to patient confidentiality. While there is no evidence that the Indian variant of the virus causes more serious illness, there is some evidence that this variant is easier to pass on than other variants. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we all continue following the guidance in place to keep us safe, which is something people in Sunderland have been doing so well since the start of the pandemic."
This comes as additional vaccinations, surge and door-to-door testing will continue in North Tyneside.
That area has been deemed a hot-spot for the Indian strain of the virus after at least 19 cases were found.
More to follow.