The emergence of the Delta variant, which was initially identified in India, is being blamed for an increase in COVID-19 cases in nations all over the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the highly transmissible variant of the fatal virus is fast becoming the globally dominant strain.

Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO’s Chief Scientist, recently stated at a press conference, “The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility.” The Delta strain was recently designated as a “variant of concern” by the WHO.

While the Delta strain fueled the aggressive second wave of COVID infections in India, the country’s infections have been declining since mid-May.

Meanwhile, nations like the United Kingdom, which had begun to relax restrictions since a substantial portion of their population had received at least one vaccination shot, are now seeing an increase in cases. The UK is not alone in this.

The Delta variant has caused an increase in coronavirus infections in several countries, including Russia and Singapore. Even the United States is advising Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible before Delta becomes the dominant strain in the country.

See the nations that are recommending vigilance over the Delta virus strain:

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The United Kingdom 

The UK has seen a small increase in instances in the previous week, with an estimated 119,000 people testing positive for coronavirus, up from 110,000 the week before. BBC reported the Delta variant is responsible for virtually all of these instances, according to Public Health England.

Despite the fact that Britain has managed to vaccinate at least 60% of its population with at least one dose of the vaccine, the number of cases has increased.

The United States

President Joe Biden of the United States has encouraged all unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus, saying that the Delta variant might result in more deaths. 

In recent months, the United States has seen a dramatic decrease in daily cases and deaths as a result of its remarkable vaccination campaign. However, scientists are concerned that the new strain would result in a new wave of cases.

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Russia 

In recent weeks, the number of coronavirus infections in Russia linked to the Delta strain has increased substantially. The highly transmissible strain was found in 89.3% of all COVID patients in Moscow, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assurances to residents that the worst of the pandemic had passed, the country is experiencing a new wave of infections. According to local officials, the bulk of the new cases have come from Moscow, where the number of illnesses has quadrupled in the last two weeks.

Germany and France 

Following the recent spike in the UK, France and Germany’s governments have issued a warning to the public to be cautious in order to avoid the spread of the Delta strain.

While the number of new COVID-19 infections in Germany is presently relatively low, German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a warning on Friday. “We can’t pretend that corona is over,” she added. 

Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that it was critical to be alert about the new strain and that the European Union will consider how to further coordinate travel restrictions during the pandemic at a prospective summit.

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Singapore 

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on May 31 that the Delta variant has caused a new outbreak of COVID infections in the country. To prevent the disease from spreading, Singapore has implemented a more rigorous contact tracing, testing, and quarantine effort.