THE spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdowns, ministers have acknowledged.

The rise in cases of the highly transmissible variant of concern risks the next stage of England’s road map out of lockdown, currently pencilled in for June 21, being delayed.

But if outbreaks are limited, ministers could opt instead to push ahead with the reopening while keeping some areas under restrictions in an echo of the controversial tiers system.

Cabinet minister George Eustice still wants the June 21 measures, which would see most remaining restrictions scrapped, to go ahead but said: “We can never rule out that there may have to be a delay.”

Asked whether it was possible for parts of the country to enjoy new freedoms on June 21 while others are kept under restrictions, Mr Eustice said: “That would be an option and we cannot rule anything out, obviously, at this stage.”

But he told Sky News the “preferred outcome” would be to drive up vaccination rates in areas where there have been outbreaks.

Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen and Bedford are the areas ministers are most concerned about.

Across England 64.8 per cent of people had received first doses and 33 per cent have ahd both jabs as of May 9.

Andover Advertiser:

Mr Eustice said efforts were being stepped up to increase vaccine uptake, particularly among minority groups.

He said that in “pockets where uptake is low” efforts were being made with “community leaders, faith leaders in some of those BAME (black and minority ethnic) communities to really encourage people to come forward and have the vaccine”.

On LBC Radio he suggested that younger people needed to show the same enthusiasm for the jabs as the over-60s.

“We just need all those other, younger cohorts to also embrace the vaccine,” he said.

Invitations are going out to 37-year-olds to get the coronavirus jab, to be followed on Wednesday by 36-year-olds as the rollout moves down the age groups.

At the same time, over 50s are having their second jabs brought forward on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in response to concerns about the fast-spreading B.1.617.2 variant.

In the Commons on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian strain in the UK, with 86 local authority areas recording at least five.