Delta variant accounts for 20% of new cases in France: Health Minister

The highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant "now accounts for about 20 per cent of new cases" in France, Health Minister Olivier Veran said.

The Delta variant "is gradually becoming dominant (in France) as it is in all countries in the world" Xinhua news agency quoted Veran as saying to told France Info radio on Tuesday.

The same virus variant had represented 9 to 10 per cent of new infections according to official figures released a week ago.

Meanwhile, "its share keeps on increasing in percentage, not in absolute terms, as the total number of cases is decreasing", the Minister added, urging people to remain vigilant.

The overall coronavirus caseload in France currently stood at 5,835,885, with 111,230 deaths.

The seven-day average of daily positive tests is 1,818, sharply down from around 40,000 recorded in early April.

Covid-related hospitalisations have steadily gone down since the country eased restrictions in May.

Currently, 8,846 infected patients were hospitalised, with 1,304 of the critically-ill in intensive care, according to the Health Ministry.

--IANS

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