Delta variant hampers the return to post COVID-19 normality

Countries all across the globe have hit new pandemic highs and reimposed COVID-19 restrictions after the G20 finance ministers warned that the economic recovery was threatened by variants and uneven vaccination campaigns.

The highly transmissible Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is sweeping the world.

The deadly coronavirus broke out in the last months of 2019 and took over the world in the early months of 2020, sending almost every country around the globe in a complete lockdown. As the countries stopped functioning, economies took a huge hit and people struggled to maintain physical and mental wellbeing.

However, as 2021 began, people started to gain some hope, especially due to the commencement of vaccine drives all around the globe. Unfortunately, that ray of hope disappeared soon as new variants of COVID-19 started popping out in different cities of the world.

Delta Plus (B.1.617.2.1/(AY.1) is a new mutant strain of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, and has emerged as a new threat, especially in India. While the Delta variant, which was first detected by scientists in India, became a problem for the whole world, Delta Plus is currently limited to smaller areas in the country and is still under investigation.

Also read | COVID-19: All you need to know about Delta Plus variant

"The recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the Covid-19 virus and different paces of vaccination," the G20 finance ministers said in a final statement.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "By tomorrow, some 500 million doses will have been distributed to all regions of Europe".

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the proportion of adults aged 18 years or over fully vaccinated in the EU and European Economic Area is still only 44.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, London police warned England football fans to not to gather in large numbers in the British capital for Euro 2020 final at Wembley. The police added that they would enforce "proportionately and as appropriate" nationwide virus restrictions not set to be lifted until July 19.