The Delta variant of Covid-19 has arrived in Cumbria "with a bang."
That's the word of the county's top health official, director of Public Health Colin Cox.
Speaking on BBC Radio Cumbria this morning, Mr Cox said: "This time last week I was saying Cumbria had been pretty stable for maybe six weeks, with case rates at about eight per 100,000.
"Today we're sitting on about 13 per 100,000. The majority are very likely to be the Delta variant. It arrived with a bang last week."
It comes after health secretary Matt Hancock revealed the Delta variant, previously labelled the Indian variant, was around 40 per cent more transmissible than even the Kent - now Alpha - variant that spread last winter.
There is growing concern the spread of the Delta variant could bring delays to plans to bring the UK out of all Covid-19 restrictions on June 21.
However, hospital admissions in Cumbria have yet to rise.
More to follow.
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