Delta variant is the majority COVID-19 variant in France, PM says

[July 21, 2021]    PARIS (Reuters) -The Delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is now the majority variant of the virus circulating in France, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex, wearing a protective face mask, speaks during a government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Castex told TF1 television that the major steps taken to tackle fourth wave of infections in the country have been settled upon by a cabinet meeting of the government.

"We are in the fourth wave", Castex said.

"The Delta variant is the majority one, it is more contagious", he added of the variant first detected in India.

The French government has began to present lawmakers this week with a new plan to fight COVID-19, which will include requiring a health pass in a wide array of venues from the start of August and making vaccination mandatory for health workers.

(Reporting by Matthias Blamont and Sudip Kar-Gupta;Writing by Matthieu ProtardEditing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, William Maclean)

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