At the request of South Africa, a special task force of the World Health Organization will examine the new virus tomorrow. The variant B.1.1.529 can also be designated with a letter from the Greek alphabet, as the now dominant delta variant.

South African crown specialist Tulio de Oliveira says the new variant has many mutations, including more than thirty mutations that are important for propagation. “We see that the virus could spread very quickly. We believe that the health system will be under pressure in the coming days and weeks.”

Cambridge University microbiology professor Ravindra Gupta told the AP that time is needed to determine whether this variant is responsible for the rapid increase in the number of infections. “There is a good chance,” he said, praising South African scientists for discovering the variant and making its existence known so quickly.

Only 24 percent of South African residents are fully vaccinated and the number of vaccinations per day is less than half the government’s goal of 300,000.

Israel and UK measures

Israel has put South Africa and its neighbors on the “red” list. Whoever comes from such a country and is not a resident of Israel will not enter Israel. Travelers returning to Israel from those countries must be quarantined for seven days at a state-designated location. They are not allowed out until they can show negative results from two PCR tests.

The Guardian writes that the UK is also taking action. Travelers who have returned from South Africa will be tracked, they too must pass a test.