Covid-19 claims 4 million lives amid rising Delta variant risk: Report

Delta variant becoming globally dominant, says Swaminathan

Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide passed a grim milestone of 4 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as many countries struggle to procure enough vaccines to inoculate their populations.
 
Even as the number of new cases and deaths have abated in countries like the United States and Britain, the Delta variant, first identified in India, is fast becoming the dominant strain around the world.
 
The World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a news conference: “The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissability.”
 
In the UK, the number of Delta variant infections jumped by 33,630 in a week to hit a total of 75,953, with the highly transmissible variant now making up 99 per cent of all Covid-19 cases in there. Public Health England, which has been tracking variant of concerns (VOCs) on a weekly basis, said its data shows an increased risk of hospitalisation with Delta VOC compared to Alpha — the VOC first detected in the Kent region.
 
In the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said she expects the Delta variant to become the dominant strain in her country.

 
Germany, too, stressed it needed to keep up the pace of the vaccination to stave off the  Delta variant. As of Friday, 50.1 per cent of German residents have had at least one dose, and 29.6 per cent were fully immunised against Covid-19.
 
The Kremlin blamed reluctance to vaccines and “nihilism” after record new infections in Moscow, mostly with the Delta variant
 
No spectators at Games is least risky: Experts
 
Tokyo 2020's organising committee chief said she wants to allow thousands of Olympics spectators, setting up a possible clash with Japan's top medical adviser who media said is urging no crowds as the least risky option during a pandemic.
 
Japan is pushing ahead with hosting the Games which kick off on July 23 despite an ongoing fourth wave of Covid and strong public opposition.
 
A final decision will be made at a meeting to be held as early as Monday among Tokyo 2020 organisers, the International Olympic Committee, Japanese government, and other key stakeholders. Reuters