People infected with the coronavirus Beta ("South African") variant, probably forgotten because of the now dominant Delta, are more likely to need admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and die from Covid-19 than those with the disease contracting the "British" Alpha variant, according to a study from Qatar.

A ministerial meeting chaired by the Greek prime minister was held on Monday to focus on stepped up checks and inspections throughout the country to confirm that Covid-19 restrictions are being applied and followed, as concerns heightened in the country over a coming surge in the number of “Delta variant” cases.