These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know about today.
Whitty Assault Charge
A man has been charged with common assault after England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, was accosted in a St James' Park, London.
Lewis Hughes, 23, of Wigton Way, Romford, East London, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later in the month.
Police investigated after Prof Whitty was accosted by a group of men on Sunday and a video of the incident was shared on social media.
The Metropolitan Police said officers spoke to Prof Whitty, who was not injured, and checked his welfare.
Autumn Boosters 'Flex'
NHS England has written to GPs, hospitals, pharmacies, vaccination sites, and councils about an autumn combined COVID-19 booster and flu jab campaign to say flexibility will be needed.
The letter said: "We still expect readouts from several clinical trials over the course of the summer and, therefore, plans will need to flex as new information becomes available.
"Therefore, the core planning scenario systems should prepare for is to deliver booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the individuals outlined in the JCVI interim guidance above between 6 September and 17 December 2021 (15 weeks), as quickly and safely as possible in two stages using supply available to us over that period."
Delta Data
Public Health England said Delta variant cases rose by 50,824 in a week, up 46%. The Delta variant accounts for approximately 95% of sequenced UK cases.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency said: "Although cases are rising, we are not seeing a proportional rise in the number of people who are being admitted to hospital. The data suggest this is testament to the success of the vaccination programme so far and clearly demonstrates the importance of getting both doses of the vaccine."
Infection Survey
Office for National Statistics (ONS) infection survey data for the week ending 26 estimate
- 1 in 260 people in England had COVID-19
- 1 in 150 people in Scotland had COVID-19
- 1 in 450 people in Wales had COVID-19
- 1 in 670 people in Northern Ireland had COVID-19
Sarah Crofts from ONS said: "We have seen a notable increase in infection rates this week across England, Wales and Scotland, driven by the Delta variant.
"Though infection rates are now similar to February, the ongoing vaccination programmes will hopefully mean fewer people will have severe symptoms."
England's R number is now 1.1 to 1.3 and the growth rate is +2% to +5%.
Vaccination Data
As of Wednesday, 62.7% of the adult UK population is fully vaccinated, and 85.2% have had a first dose.
Wales has issued a "call to arms", offering walk-in vaccination sessions for all over-18s at some centres this weekend.
Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, said: "All adults in Wales should have now had an offer of the vaccine, but we know that in some cases people may have had to cancel or miss their appointments. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get their vaccine, particularly younger adults who have other demands on their time."
Scotland is taking a similar approach. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "Our route out of this pandemic is getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, that is why I am urging people to get 'jagged' in July."
Public Health England issued first estimates for vaccine effectiveness in under-40s. A single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is 61% effective against symptomatic disease, and a single dose of the Moderna vaccine is 72% effective, it said.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 89% of adults reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 63% second doses.
Positive sentiment towards the COVID-19 vaccine remains high at 96%.
However, among 16 to 17 year-olds, 14% reported vaccine hesitancy, the highest vaccine hesitancy compared with other age groups.
Blood Cancer & Jabs
Blood Cancer UK survey results found 81% of respondents hadn't been told their weakened immunise systems mean COVID-19 vaccines could be less effective for them.
Professor Andrew Pettitt, haemato-oncologist, University of Liverpool and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: "It’s vital that our patient community is aware of what the data are showing. As a clinician, I can explain to patients that they should certainly get vaccinated but might not be fully protected. However, not all patients speak to their doctor or specialist nurse on a regular basis, and we therefore need wider help to get this message across to keep our patients safe."
Euros
Public Health Scotland data show 1991 people attended a Euro 2020-related event while infected with the virus.
People aged 20-39 accounted for 1470 cases linked to the Euros, 9 in 10 cases were male, and 1294 people reported travelling to London for a Euro-related event.
See more global coronavirus updates in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Centre.
