Too early to say on final UK reopening step: Health minister

A coronavirus variant first found in India is spreading across Britain and it is too soon to say whether the country can fully drop COVID-19 restrictions on June 21, health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday.

"The Indian variant is spreading across the country," Hancock told parliament. "My assessment is that it is too early now to say, yet, whether we can take the full step four (of the reopening plan) on the 21st of June.

"We will only do that if it's safe. We will make a formal assessment, ahead of the 14th of June, as to what step we can take on the 21st."