Covid-19 breakdown on Teesside as sub-variant spreads and cases double in Middlesbrough

The Eris Covid-19 sub-variant is spreading in the UK, with reported cases doubling in Middlesbrough and a total of 100 new cases recorded in the Tees Valley in the last week. A new Covid strain, nicknamed Pirola, has also been detected in London. Investigations into its infectiousness are ongoing. While cases are increasing, hospital admissions remain low. Testing has dropped due to the end of free testing, affecting accurate prevalence reporting. Both variants show typical Covid symptoms.