Analysis: Delta variant’s advance meant delaying end of lockdown was inevitable

Delaying lockdown end buys time to vaccinate more and hold back a deadly summer wave says Shaun Lintern

Covid-19 is spreading fastest among younger people (PA)

The government had no option to delay the end of lockdown – the numbers have been bad and getting worse for weeks and we know from bitter experience that acting too slowly costs lives.

We are 15 months on from the start of the pandemic and many people will be disappointed and probably sceptical of the risks posed by the virus now – having been through several waves already some will question the predictions emerging today of a summer wave and 40,000 deaths.

But it is becoming clearer that the Delta variant has changed the calculations dramatically. With an increased transmissibility of up to 60 per cent compared to the previous Alpha variant of the virus, we are in a whole new scenario.