B.1.617

Remember this number.

B.1.617 is the "Indian" mutation of COVID, which is still sweeping that nation, though the near vertical graphs are finally showing signs of levelling off.

India is averaging 375,000 new cases per day.

This is likely to me an underestimate of a factor of at least ten.

Offician death totals in some urban districts are a tenth of those that have actually died.

It is a crisis of unimaginable horror.

And yet it is happening, and the deaths and infections will continue to mount.

B.1.617 is in the UK. Not all positive tests have the virus sequenced, but B.1.617 now accounts for over 10% of all those that have, and with it being highly infectious it is very likely to get much worse.

However, we do not know what effect the UK's vaccination program will have, as India has just 2% fully vaccinated, where in the UK some 15.5 million people (including Jools) have had both doses of a vaccine.

Again, today, papers are full of demands that foreign holidays are allowed and that full unlocking of hospitality is allowed 5 weeks earlier than planned. The Mail screamed: "Why wait seven more weeks?"

Because, unlocking the economy and country too early could cause another wave, especially as with the mutant strain memntioned above?

The Express thunders: "50m vaccines milestone.... and one life lost", the message is clear: unlock, NOW.

The Times leads on the reopening of holiday hotspots just weeks away, and the Torygraph that "Europe to welcome tourists for the summer".

Even Metro and the Mirror pile in.

Did we learn nothing from May last year?

No, because Johnson didn't want to hold inquiries, and still doesn't, so we will make the same mistakes.

So it goes, so it goes.