World Coronavirus Dispatch: Pandemic may not vanish by 2021-end, says WHO

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Variants spreading fast in Japan

In what is an alarming trend for Japan ahead of the Summer Olympics, coronavirus variants are spreading fast in Kobe, a study has found. The city conducted a random check for variants among people who tested positive for Covid-19 after January 1. Results showed that the number of those infected by a variant has gradually risen since February. The Japanese government has asked local health organisations to spot-check for variants among Covid-19 tests. In Kobe, the city's Public Health Research Institute has examined about 40 per cent of positive tests since the start of the year.