Two delta-plus variant cases recorded in South Korea

South Korea has recorded two new cases of the delta-plus variant of the coronavirus.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency told Reuters that the first case was a man in his 40s with “no recent travel records.”

Testing from 280 people who came in contact with the man found that only his son was positive for COVID-19. However, it's unclear whether the son also had delta-plus.

The second case of the delta-plus strain was recorded in a person who received both doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine and had returned to South Korea from the U.S., Reuters reported.

Overall, South Korea reported 1,202 new coronavirus infections for Monday, bringing its cumulative total to 202,203, Reuters reported.

On Tuesday, it said it has given 39 percent of its population at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 14.1 percent are fully inoculated.

The delta-plus variant, which is labeled as B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1, was first identified in Europe.

Public Health England, a government agency in the United Kingdom, first reported the variant in June, CNN reported at the time.

The delta-plus strain has been listed as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in early July that it would continue evaluating the independent classifications of the variant.

The variant has been detected in several countries such as the United Kingdom, United States and India, according to The Washington Post.

Experts in India have said the variant is one of concern, as it appears to be more transmissible than most others. The Indian health ministry has said the variant could bind more easily to lung cells and could be resistant to therapies, the Post noted.