Over 70 per cent of coronavirus cases in the Lisbon area are from the more contagious Delta variant, which is quickly spreading to other parts of the country, said a report, as authorities scramble to stop a worrying rise in infections.

The national health institute, Ricardo Jorge, said in its report that the Delta variant, first identified in India, represented 51pc of cases in mainland Portugal, showing the variant is "spreading rapidly" as it happened in Britain.

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