German health authorities said on Thursday that they had identified several cases of infections with the Indian variant of the coronavirus in the country, considered in part responsible for a second devastating epidemic wave in India.
Read also: The Indian variant detected in "at least 17 countries", according to the WHO
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We have isolated cases in Germany, we will publish a new report tomorrow,
" said at a press conference about this B.1.617 variant detected for the first time in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday that this mutation of the virus had been identified in 17 countries, including several in Europe. On Thursday, the organization warned of an easing of restrictions underway in several European countries. “
The situation in India can happen anywhere
She warns.
India recorded 3,645 new deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, 350 more than the day before, a new record for this country overwhelmed by a virulent wave of contamination.
This exponential upsurge, blamed in part on the new variant, as well as the gathering of crowds at political and religious events, overwhelmed hospitals now short of beds, medicine and oxygen.
Germany, in the grip of a third epidemic wave, tightened its restrictions on Saturday, including for the first time imposing night curfews at the national level.
The largest European economy reported Thursday of nearly 25,000 new cases of infections in 24 hours and 264 deaths, bringing the total of deaths to 82,544 since the start of the pandemic.
