France delays some regional relaxing of COVID restrictions as concerns grow over fourth wave

France delays some regional unwinding of COVID restrictions as concerns over fourth wave grow France decided on Wednesday to delay the unwinding of COVID-19 restrictions in a southwestern region of the country, while the government's leading scientific adviser said a fourth wave of the virus was likely to the emergence of the Delta variant. Reuters Reuters

PARIS, June 30 (Reuters) - France decided on Wednesday to delay the unwinding of COVID-19 restrictions in a southwestern region of the country, while the government's leading scientific adviser said a fourth wave of the virus was likely to the emergence of the Delta variant.

Scientific and medical experts say the COVID Delta variant, first found in India, is more transmissible than other forms of the virus, and the Delta variant's rapid spread around the world has led some countries to reimpose travel restrictions. read more

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the high presence of the Delta variant in the Landes region of southwest France meant France would delay until July 6 an unwinding of COVID restrictions set up in that area.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said earlier this week that the Delta variant now represented around 20% of France's COVID cases. read more

Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, the French government's leading scientific adviser, said earlier that the spread of the Delta variant meant France would likely have a fourth COVID wave - albeit one less severe than the previous three waves. ...