MORE than 100 further confirmed cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus have been recorded in Warrington, new figures reveal.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Covid-19 mutation, which originated in India, now makes up 91 per cent of new cases in the UK.

This is believed to be slightly higher in Warrington, with the dominant strain responsible for 92 per cent of all cases in the town, according to director of public health Thara Raj.

Public Health England figures show 119 cases of the Delta variant had been recorded in Warrington by June 9.

That was 108 more than the 11 cases recorded the week before.

Those identified in the latest week were among at least 16,825 cases of the VOC-21APR-02 mutation recorded across the north west – the worst affected of England's nine regions.

Public Health England said on Friday that 42,323 cases of the Delta variant have been confirmed in the UK, up from 29,892 a week ago.

The increase in confirmed cases has been driven partly by a reduction in test turnaround times and a faster process for identifying cases of the variant, PHE said.

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Growth rates for Delta cases are high across all parts of the country, it added, with cases doubling every 4.5 days in certain areas.

Different PHE figures show that 42 people across England had died with the Delta variant as of June 7.

Of them, 23 were unvaccinated, seven had received their first dose more than 21 days prior and 12 died more than two weeks after receiving their second jab.

The figures also show that two thirds of the 1,234 people who attended A&E in England between February 1 and June 7 and who were confirmed as having the Delta variant of coronavirus were unvaccinated.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “With numbers of Delta variant cases on the rise across the country, vaccination is our best defence.

“If you are eligible, we urge you to come forward and be vaccinated. Remember that two doses provide significantly more protection than a single dose.

“With data showing that Delta is significantly more transmissible than Alpha, it is just as important as ever to follow public health advice, which has not changed.

“Get vaccinated, work from home where you can and remember ‘hands, face, space, fresh air’ at all times. These measures work, and they save lives.”