Delta Plus variant: how many cases of the new strain of Covid are there in Greater Manchester?

The Government has renewed its calls for people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 after warning of the potential threat of future variants.

A new Delta variant, known as AY.4.2, or Delta Plus, is currently being monitored by Downing Street.

The descendant of the Delta variant has been slowly increasing in case numbers in the UK, although there is currently no evidence that it spreads more easily.

Scientists have said Delta Plus carries two characteristic mutations in the spike - Y145H and A222V - both of which have been found in other coronavirus lineages since the start of the pandemic.

However, these strains have remained at a low frequency until recently, with the first to carry both mutations being sequenced in April 2020.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said that new variants are being identified “all the time” and, at the moment, Delta Plus poses no greater threat than any other variant. But Mr Javid urged people to get vaccinated against Covid-19, and take up the offer of a booster dose, to help keep infections under control after warning cases could rise to 100,000 per day this winter.

Is the Delta Plus variant in Greater Manchester?

Analysis of Covid-19 samples in England reveals the areas where the highest number of AY.4.2 variant has been identified.

Data is based on the number of confirmed cases of the Delta Plus variant from Covid-19 tests that were genomically sequenced in the week to 9 October. These figures do not show the overall number of Delta Plus cases, as not all tests are genomically sequenced.

Here are the figures for Greater Manchester, based on provisional data from scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, part of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, for the week to 9 October.

1. Stockport

Number of tests sequenced: 277

Number of Delta Plus cases: 51

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 18.4%

2. Manchester

Number of tests sequenced: 223

Number of Delta Plus cases: 19

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 8.5%

3. Trafford

Number of tests sequenced: 328

Number of Delta Plus cases: 19

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 5.8%

4. Tameside

Number of tests sequenced: 181

Number of Delta Plus cases: 14

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 7.7%

5. Rochdale

Number of tests sequenced: 101

Number of Delta Plus cases: 13

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 12.9%

6. Oldham

Number of tests sequenced: 129

Number of Delta Plus cases: 13

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 10.9%

7. Wigan

Number of tests sequenced: 206

Number of Delta Plus cases: 13

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 6.3%

8. Bury

Number of tests sequenced: 114

Number of Delta Plus cases: 7

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 6.1%

9. Salford

Number of tests sequenced: 104

Number of Delta Plus cases: 3

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 2.9%

10. Bolton

Number of tests sequenced: 134

Number of Delta Plus cases: 3

Percentage of cases that were Delta Plus: 2.2%