Portuguese authorities have confirmed suspicions that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is driving a spike in new cases in the Lisbon region, reports AP.

Portugal’s National Health Institute has said that the highly infectious variant, which was first found in India, has a prevalence of 60 per cent in new cases in the nation’s capital.

The recent surge in infections caused authorities last week to ban all travel in and out of Lisbon on weekends. The measure went into effect on Friday.