Ending COVID pandemic top priority, says UK’s new health minister

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June 27, 2021: Britain’s Sajid Javid said on Sunday his priority was to oversee a return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic in his new role as health minister, praising his predecessor Matt Hancock who was forced to resign after breaking coronavirus restrictions.

“We are still in a pandemic, and I want to see that come to an end as soon as possible and that will be my most immediate priority to see that we can return to normal as soon and as quickly as possible,” he told BBC News.

Meanwhile in Leeds, youngsters are tense as the area experiences Covid-19 rates in the country by about 10 times the average combined. A combination of a majority-unvaccinated population, a return to face-to-face teaching, good weather and the end of exams has sent Covid rates in Leeds’s student area sky-high.

While the UK average is 105 cases per 100,000 people, the case rate in the Hyde Park ward is a huge 1547 per 10,000 people and it is rising rapidly. In neighbouring Hyde Park Corner and Woodhouse Cliff, there are 1,044 cases per 100,000 people.

That is a fair assessment given that one in 75 people here tested positive in the last seven days and the real infection rate is likely to be much higher, due to people who may be unaware they have it or fail to report it. Though the risk of death or serious complications is lower among young adults, places where the virus spreads more freely are more likely to produce variants and there is a risk of a variant emerging that current vaccines are not effective against.

Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds North West, said the council had responded quickly in putting in place surge testing in and around the two most affected wards, including going door-to-door with testing kits.

While they wait for vaccination rates to catch up, local businesses have taken it upon themselves to put in place extra precautions while still trying to provide an enjoyable experience for young people who are at the end of a difficult and disappointing year.

Popular venue the Brudenell Social Club had six security staff working on Friday night in order to manage Covid measures, which included temperature checks on entry and compulsory masks when walking around outside, neither of which are required by law.

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