Coronavirus Delta Plus variant detected for first time in Israel

By Mustafa Deveci

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus has been detected for the first time in Israel, media reports said Wednesday.

It was found in four people, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Ninety percent of cases are caused by the Delta variant in Israel, where there has been a significant increase in the number of infections in recent days.

The Tel Aviv administration has made it mandatory for those returning from abroad to be quarantined until a COVID-19 test at the airport results in a negative status.

As many as 521 people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

The number of daily cases fell below 20 at the beginning of last month. The country has managed to contain the spread thanks to vaccinations and has been loosening measures since February.

The number of active cases, which fell to 216 on June 6, has increased recently to 3,274.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed nearly 4 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 184.8 million cases reported worldwide, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The US, India, and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries.

*Writing by Merve Berker