Variants of SARS-CoV-2

Germany is easing strict restrictions on travel from Britain, Portugal and some other countries that were imposed because of the rise of the more contagious delta virus variant.

By Panagiotis Arkoumaneas*

Greece is welcoming July with the best epidemiological statistics of the last months.

There is a substantial decline in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, of intubated patients, of hospital admissions, and of deaths.

This decline did not occur by chance. It is the product of our collective, strenuous, and coordinated effort and care.

The Delta variant of coronavirus is driving the pandemic forward in Africa at record speeds, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on July 1. 

Infection numbers have increased in Africa for six weeks running, rising by a quarter week-on-week to almost 202,000 in the week that ended Sunday, it said.

Expressing faith in the country's COVID-19 vaccination rate, Israel's new government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has declined to impose new restrictions, even as the Delta variant is leading to a resurgence of infections here.

Europe has sounded the alarm for the coronavirus Delta mutation, which appears to have become a summer threat, raising additional concerns among tourism and travel professionals.

Having first hit India and neighboring countries hard, now the new mutation is beginning to spread to Europe.

Ljubljana – Slovenia reported 43 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday in what continues to be a significant decrease on all levels. No Covid-19 patients died, the seven-day average of new daily cases fell to 54 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped to 49, according to fresh official data.

The Greek Health Ministry and the Civil Protection bureau issued a COVID-19 orange alert (moderate risk) today after the appearance and expected spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, which was isolated in India, especially on the island of Crete, which has the most confirmed cases.

The Delta variant, which was first detected in India, could account for 90% of new coronavirus infections in Europe by late August, the EU's disease control agency said on Wednesday.

A surge in cases of the delta variant continued to push the U.K.'s coronavirus infection numbers to levels not seen since the winter, even with most of the adult population now fully vaccinated.

With more than 60 percent of adults in the country having received two shots, there's growing optimism among experts that the vaccine roll-out has broken the link between cases and deaths.

Vaccines protect us from the new SARS-CoV-2 strains as well, Secretary of State with the Health Ministry Andrei Baciu informed on Monday, quoting a British study. "Vaccines protect us from the new SARS-CoV-2 strains!