MINISTERS are pushing on with Monday’s easing of Covid restrictions despite concerns over the Indian variant of coronavirus, as they were criticised for allowing the strain’s import.

Boris Johnson is sticking by plans to allow mixing indoors and greater physical contact in England, despite scientists warning the strain could be 50-per cent more transmissible than the Kent variety.

Health Minister Edward Argar said today the Government was acting “coolly and calmly” in carrying on with phase three on the roadmap to ending lockdown restrictions.

But, the British Medical Association (BMA) said the move is, “a real worry”, while many in the population are still awaiting vaccination.

Mr Argar was also forced to defend border restrictions, saying it is, “impossible to completely hermetically seal”, the nation amid criticism of the delay in adding India to the travel red list.

The Prime Minister warned on Friday the variant could cause “serious disruption” to plans to ease the lockdown and may delay the planned ending of all legal restrictions on June 21.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) concluded there is a “realistic possibility” the strain is 50pc more transmissible than the Kent variety.

If the higher transmissibility is confirmed, the experts said moving to step three could, “lead to a substantial resurgence of hospitalisations, similar to, or larger than, previous peaks”.

Mr Argar told BBC Breakfast: “All the evidence so far suggests there is no evidence of increased severity of illness or that it evades the vaccine.

“So, at the moment, on the basis of the evidence we are doing the right thing, coolly and calmly continuing with Monday, but keeping everything under review.”

Monday’s easing will allow people to socialise indoors in homes, pubs and restaurants, and will permit physical contact between households for the first time in more than a year.

Mr Argar said people should take personal responsibility when deciding whether or not to hug loved ones, when allowed to do so.

“You have to take all the facts into consideration,” he said. “It’s about personal responsibility, it’s about making the right judgment call.”

The BMA’s public health medicine committee co-chairman Dr Richard Jarvis urged the public to take a “cautious approach” to social and physical contact.

“With key segments of the population still not vaccinated and clusters of variants, including the rapidly increasing Indian variant, becoming a growing concern, we must approach this next stage of easing lockdown with the utmost caution,” he said.

“It is a real worry that when further measures lift on May 17, the majority of younger people, who are often highly socially mobile and could therefore be most at risk of a more infectious strain, are not yet vaccinated.”

To combat the variant’s spread, people aged over 50 and the clinically vulnerable will have their second doses of a Covid vaccine accelerated.

Surge testing is also under way in several places in England including areas of Bolton, Blackburn, Sefton and London.

Public Health England data shows a rise in cases of the Indian variant of concern from 520 to 1,313 this week in the UK.