Boris Johnson refuses to rule out local lockdowns while ‘anxious’ about Indian variant

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is “ruling nothing out” when asked if local lockdowns were likely to stop the spread of the so-called Indian variant of the coronavirus. Mr Johnson said there would be meetings later on Thursday to discuss the issue, admitting that he was “anxious” about the spread of the variant. Speaking during a visit to a school in County Durham, he said that he can see “nothing that dissuades me” from further lifting lockdown restrictions on Monday, and ending the majority of measures on 21 June.