One-third of French Covid-19 infections are extremely transmissible Delta variant, says health minister, 4th wave possible

The French health minister has warned of the very real risk that the Covid-19 epidemic will once again gain strength in France, with the highly transmissible Delta variant now representing around 33% of new infections.

Speaking on Friday, French Health Minister Olivier Veran urged his compatriots to get vaccinated against Covid-19, warning that the country – which has only just overcome a third wave of the virus – may face another resurgence soon. 

“There is a real risk that the epidemic will pick up again this summer in France,” said Veran, adding that the prevalence of the Delta variant had once again grown since his last estimate three days ago.

The health minister said the Delta variant now represented a third of all new cases, up from June 29 when he said it represented around 20% of French cases.

 The Delta variant, which caused a huge surge when it was first identified in India, has been responsible for a considerable spike in cases in the UK, where around half of the entire population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with many more having received at least one shot. In France, just over 30% of the population have received two doses. 

France has steadily seen Covid-19 infections fall after peaking in April, with strict social distancing rules and a quickening vaccine rollout.

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