Delta coronavirus variant prompts more lockdowns around the world

SYDNEY – The Delta strain, which first detected in India, has fuelled fears that the pandemic may be far from over after claiming millions of lives.

The variant which is said to be more contagious has catalyzed a third UK wave and forced the government to delay the full reopening of society it had originally slated for 21 June while Australia's largest city Sydney entered a two-week lockdown to contain a sudden Covid surge and Russia's Saint Petersburg announced a record death toll, as several European nations lifted restrictions despite the worrying spread of the highly contagious variant of the deadly virus.

Saint Petersburg on Saturday reported the country's highest daily Covid-19 death toll for a city since the start of the pandemic. Russia's second city, which has hosted six Euro 2020 matches and is due to host a quarter-final next Friday, recorded 107 virus deaths over the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh also announced a recent national lockdown from Monday over the variant, with offices shut for a week and only medical-related transport allowed.

New Zealand, in wake of the surge in Australia, announced a three-day suspension of its quarantine-free travel arrangement with its larger neighbor. The Sydney lockdown, affecting more than five million people in the city and nearby towns, was met with dismay after months of very few cases.

The Delta variant has now spread to at least 85 countries and is the most contagious of any Covid-19 strain identified, per WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The variant is so contagious that experts say more than 80 percent of a population would need to be vaccinated in order to contain it - a difficult target even for nations with significant vaccination drives.

The variant is also fuelling a surge in infections in several countries across Africa, where cases as a whole jumped 25 percent over the past week. The hardest-hit state South Africa warned Saturday that soaring caseloads linked to the Delta variant were forcing authorities to consider tighter restrictions.