EU Announces Vaccinating of 41% of Population against Coronavirus

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced that about 41% of adults of the population of the 28-member bloc have received two doses of the anti-corona vaccine so far.

She indicated during participation in Brussels Economic Forum, held in the Belgian capital city,  that 41% of the European Union population were vaccinated against the Coronavirus ( also known as COVID-19).

Der Leyen added that at least 60% of the population of the bloc have received the first dose.

On the other hand, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Europe is "on thin ice" as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads on the continent.

Her warning came as EU health officials said the variant would account for 90% of the bloc's cases by late August.

The spread could disrupt plans for lifting restrictions during the coming weeks of summer.

The Alpha variant, first discovered in the United Kingdom ( UK), hit Europe hard early this year, and Delta, now dominant in the UK, is thought 40%-60% more transmissible.

Andrea Ammon, the director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said on Wednesday that the spread of the Delta variant showed the importance of speeding up vaccinations in Europe, as "preliminary data shows that it can also infect inpiduals that have received only one dose of the currently available vaccines".

Two doses offered "high protection" against the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, she added.

Delta, first identified in India, now accounts for almost all new infections in the UK.

On Wednesday  Merkel called for a more coordinated EU response and said all member states should quarantine arrivals from the UK considering the dangers of the spread of Delta.

The UK is not on the EU's list of safe countries, due to the spread of Delta, but that list is not binding on member states, according to the BBC.