JERUSALEM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Five more cases of the new COVID-19 Delta variant "AY4.2" were reported by Israel's Ministry of Health on Thursday.
The first case of the variant in Israel was detected on Tuesday in an 11-year-old boy who returned from Moldova and was tested positive at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv.
Upon the detection of the variant in the boy, the ministry's genetic sequencing laboratory reviewed all sequences that were classified as the Delta variant so far, given the AY4.2 variant had been classified all over the world as the Delta variant and only recently was classified as a separate variant.
As a result of the repeat review, five additional previous cases meeting the new classification's requirements have been detected.
"The ministry continues to regularly monitor all types of variants and their development," said a statement of the health ministry.
The ministry also reported 1,025 new COVID-19 cases in Israel, bringing the total tally of infections in the country to 1,320,884.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Israel rose to 8,035, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased to 318.
The total recoveries from the virus climbed to 1,298,172 while active cases decreased to 14,677. Enditem
