The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said the more contagious Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India, will represent 90 per cent of all Sars-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the European Union by the end of August.

“It is very likely that the Delta variant will circulate extensively during the summer, particularly among younger individuals that are not targeted for vaccination,” the ECDC said, according to Reuters.

“This could cause a risk for the more vulnerable individuals to be infected and experience severe illness and death if they are not fully vaccinated.”

But the ECDC said two doses of an approved Covid-19 vaccine offered “high protection” against the variant and its consequences.